Circles
by Buckle
Summary: A missing Princess, an exTurk, a jungle. A Turk, a stranger, a mansion. Ragtag heroes, a ruler, a mission. Fallen gods, scientists and deities. And in a circle, everything connects.
1. Alone and Far From Home

**_Circles_**

**Chapter One **

"_When you Love somebody, put them in a circle, never in a heart, for hearts can break..._

_But circles go on Forever."_

_**Alone and Far From Home**_

_Make it a sweet, sweet goodbye - it could be for the last time and it's not right.  
"Don't let yourself get in over your head," he said.  
**Alone and far from home we'll find you...**_

--

On this particular night, the sky rolled on in a forever midnight blue, swirled with black. The moon and stars shone brightly in the sky, glorifying themselves on this dark summer night. Darkness tumbled over the land and seas, engulfing all in its path. Travelers lead themselves astray and wanderers hopelessly entangle themselves in the darkness, forever walking. To the wanderers, it does not matter – darkness or not, they travel with no aim and no purpose.

However, others prowled the night, not nearly as innocent. Assassins and thieves used the night as a cloak, moving as one with the shadows, effortlessly blending in. The blackness missed no place, for its eyes saw all. It could see the few people who hopelessly traveled across the plains, and it saw the ones who withdrew to the safety of their own homes. However, it also delved under the surface, searching for any sign of human life. And find it did.

Deep in the bowels of the Nibelheim mansion, all was quiet. Silence curled up like a cat, preparing for a long stay. Silence, however, was chased away. A single soul stirred, moving as quietly as it could. A soft swish of fabric was heard and settled on a figure. Feet pattered across the floor near inaudibly as the figure hurriedly shoved items into a bag. Turning, it walked towards the mechanical door, and slid it open. The form of a guard lay crumpled on the floor, and the figure put two fingers on its neck. No pulse – yet no blood. The person rummaged in the guard's sack, pulling out a keycard. Straitening, the person swiftly slid down hallways, all the guards lying on the floor, dead. The door slid open, revealing a room that emitted a strange green glow. Swiftly ducking inside, the person headed over to a glass case filled with many different test tubes, all corked shut. The figure took out a key from her pocket, and unlocked the case. Hurriedly, he or she put the test tubes in a box, and then stuffed the box with cloth so the test tubes wouldn't move or break. Shoving the box into a black backpack, the person left the room, not taking the time to shut the case.

The figure navigated through the halls until they came to another room. This time, there was a slot for the keycard, but there was also a circular puzzle numbered from 0 to 9. However, the numbers were not Common – they were written in Wutain kanji. Also, as the person seemed to know, the numbers were counter-clockwise. The top was 0, and then to the left was 1 then 2, and so on. The person quickly entered a few numbers, and with a click, the door opened. Rushing inside, the person found themselves in a room of endless file cabinets. Glancing around from under the hood of the cape, eyes settled on the desk. Walking over, the person looked at the files on the desk. Fidgeting, the person grabbed the files and rushed out, shutting the door as quietly as possible.

As the figure emerged, shouts erupted down the hall. The person started to run, darting down halls, finally coming to a small room that had a coffin in the center. Other coffins were shoved to the side, and the figure went to a barely noticeable one in the top right-hand corner of the room. Opening the lid, instead of a bottom, there was darkness, pitch black. Yet – as the stranger seemed to know - a ladder was attached to the side. Swinging inside, the person shut the lid and completely consumed by the dark, climbed down. When the ladder ended, the figure jumped off. Confused shouts could be heard above, and the person walked down the path. It was wide and stone, with streams running on either side of it. Water dripped from the ceiling, but the person kept walking. The figure walked and walked until it came to the end of the path. A dead end. He or she looked at the wall, and their shoulders fell when he or she saw the ladder had broken off further up. However, posture was regained and the person stared up, at a small ring of moonlight was seen high up. A sliver of light slid onto the face, revealing feminine features as the hood slid back a bit. She stood unmoving, staring upwards…waiting…waiting. Waiting for no one.

Back on the surface the night was restless. The animals and daytime monsters scurried away; unnerved by the unnatural feel of this darkness. Smaller animals looked up at the sky, but the orb that shone so brightly didn't comfort them. Nocturnal beasts walked the night with a careless confidence. Eyes tailored for the dark of night drifted around their surroundings, looking for some hapless prey - a small animal scurrying to its home, or a smaller beast foolish enough to be defiant. Or a human.

Indeed, a human did dare prowl the night – three humans. These, however, were not children nor were they lost townsfolk. The darkness didn't unnerve them; rather, they welcomed it with open arms. These humans knew darkness. These humans were Turks.

All three rode on trotting black chocobos, and all three wore blue suits. One man was slightly in front of the other two. His fiery red hair was sloppily tied back in a low ponytail, and a cigarette was tucked behind his ear. His suit was in a state of disarray, wrinkled like he had slept in it. Two scars stood out on his face, one under each eye. A cigarette was tucked behind his ear, but he took a cigarette out of the pack and lit it up, leaving the one behind his ear untouched. Even with his messy appearance, he held an air of confidence that assured him, Reno, to be the leader.

To the right of the Reno was a tall man, dark-skinned and dressed identically, but neater. He was bald and wore sunglasses even in the black of night. Rude, second of the Turks had his expression set in stone, so calm he looked like a wax figure until he turned his head. Underneath his sunglasses, bright green eyes flicked Reno to the girl riding to his left.

The female was the last of the trio, shorter and with short blonde hair. Sparkling blue eyes were dulled from boredom, and she fiddled with the pale blue ribbon tied loosely around her chocobo's neck. Elena, newest of the three Turks, looked up at the other two with blank eyes.

"So exactly _what_ bull did we get sent here for?" She sighed.

"Something about making sure there isn't any shit going on at the Mansion," Reno replied, dismissing it with a wave of his hand. "After all, Reeve and town representatives from around the Planet will be meeting here. God forbid there should be any _rats_ to scare Miss Lady of Kalm."

Elena sniffed huffily, slumping against her chocobo's neck. "Doesn't Mr. Valentine live there?" She asked, her voice muffled.

"Mmmhmmm." Reno replied.

"Will we make him leave?"

"Dunno."

Silence settled over the group, and they kept moving along until they finally reached the city of Nibelheim. Dismounting their chocobos, they led the overlarge birds through the streets, talons clinking on the cobble-stone. Nibelheim had expanded a bit, instead of the small ring of houses it had once been. Nevertheless, it was still a small town. Footsteps rang on hollowed streets until they reached the end of the main road. They reached the building that marked the end of town and the beginning of the mountain path; the Mansion.

The Turks tied their chocobos to the fence on the perimeter of the mansion, before walking up the path. Moss grew on the long-ago-abandoned path and vines snaked up the side of the building. One window had a piece of wood nailed over it crookedly, nearly falling off. Like no one was willing to near the mansion long enough to finish the task.

Reno tossed his cigarette on the ground, walking over it. They entered the building, looking around the large lower floor. Dust settled on the floor in a blanket, tucking the wood away. A staircase swept up from the floor, elegantly curving and giving way to another floor. Yet, faint footsteps appeared to have disturbed the dust. The footsteps came down the staircase and turned, heading towards the rooms beyond the stairs. They were recent, and dust had begun to fill them in, but they were visible. There was another set of footsteps, the strides shorter and the footsteps smaller. Reno knelt down, inspecting the footsteps. The first set of footsteps was larger and seemingly male, while the second was smaller and more feminine.

"I thought only Valentine lived here." Elena stated uneasily.

"Me too…" Reno said. "But he usually wears those boots, and these larger footprints look more like dress shoes." He walked towards the doors, opening them and walking in, closely followed by his companions.

The two footsteps continued to a room on the left, and dutifully, the Turks followed. Through the door they found a near empty room. Only an ever-dimming light in the center of the room provided light. Two, large stained glass windows were on the northern part of the wall, accompanied by window seats. In a small, circular indent in the wall, there was a table. Finally, in the southern part of the room, there was a grand piano.

Silence enveloped the group and Elena looked up. "Someone else was here."

The group exchanged glances. "What about his friends?" Rude provided.

"True…Lockhart and Ninja Chick are both are possibilities…The fist-fighter's profile said that during the rebuilding of Nibelheim, she had a piano in her room."

"But a boy played the piano." Rude stated, staring at the large set of footprints that led over to the piano

Elena looked at Reno, "You read her Shinra profile?"

Reno shrugged. "I wanted to know about the people we were chasing. I only got to hers, Wallace and the Red cat. Princess might have had one – actually, she did - but it was under lock and keep along with Valentine, Chocobo Head and the Centra. Cait Sith didn't have one – besides, that was Reeve - and I asked Heidigger about Highwind."

Elena shook her head, rolling her eyes. Then she began to inspect the room. She looked at each of the stained glass windows, and then she went to the wall across from the grand piano. There was a single, stained glass window there, medium sized. The picture depicted an upside-down triangle. At the bottom point was a single rose, and the top left point had a gun. The top right corner had a needle, and the whole triangle was inside a larger, broken heart.

"Guys…look here…" she said, beckoning the other two men. They came over, and she showed them the picture.

"A love triangle." Rude proclaimed.

"But there isn't any light coming through this window." Elena noted.

Reno leaned against the window, propping himself up with one elbow as he lit a cigarette, "Probably another feeble attempt to board up-"

As Reno leaned against the window, a slight noise was made and the window began to slide into the left side of the wall, until it revealed a black tunnel. They all gaped, Reno almost choking on his cigarette.

"W-W-Whadduwedo?" Elena fumbled, surprised at this new revelation.

"Go in of course," Reno said.

Promptly Reno climbed in on all fours, followed by Elena, then Rude. A dim light was provided by the rooms light, but a shifting sound was heard again and the window slid back into place. The Turks were enveloped by the darkness, nothing but Reno's glowing eyes piercing the darkness. Soon, Reno reached out and put his weight down, but instead of flat bottom of the tunnel, there was nothing there. His eyes widened as his hand came down on a slide in the tunnel, and his body jerked forward. He slid down the slippery surface, only faintly able to see in front of him. A shriek informed him Elena was sliding due to lack of warning. In a moment he felt her form collide with his, increasing his speed down the tunnel. Rude's form smashed into Elena's, earning an 'umph' from her. The three tangled bodies slid down the steep slide, swerving around endless turns and near vertical drops, gaining speed until light was visible at the other end. With wide eyes, all three shot out of the tunnel, and smashed into the wall. They fell onto the ground in a crumpled heap, random limbs sticking out and muffled shouts of protest from the pile.

Reno lay at the bottom of the dog pile, his legs entwisted with Elena's legs and Rude's arm. Elena was in the middle, uncomfortably stretched between the two men. On top was Rude, one arm pulling him deeper into the pile.

"Elena…" Reno's muffled voice came. Elena looked down at her chest, processing where Reno's face was, blushing furiously.

"Reno!" Elena yelled, though Rude's foot was almost stuffed in her mouth.

"What? I didn't _ask_ for my face to be here." Reno said, but grinned up at her.

With difficultly, they disentangled themselves, and as soon as they were all standing, Elena glowered at Reno, who held his hands up.

After brushing dust off and straightening clothes, they took a moment to review their surroundings. They were in a small pathway, and right next to the open tunnel in which they came from there was a ladder. The now recognizable shifting noise was made, and the tunnel was covered with a piece of wall that was identical to the rest of the stone wall. A torch lit the hall and light danced on the walls. Rude walked over to the ladder, prepared to climb.

"Wait," Reno said, "Let's see what is further down…there wouldn't be a secret passage just to go back upstairs."

"Reno." Rude said, giving him a look. "Reeve said not to get sidetracked."

"This isn't getting sidetracked! The person who is here might be down the hall!"

"…Reno…it was probably just some towns-kid on a dare. Let's go." Elena said.

"No. You go; I'll be up in a second."

"Reno." Rude said.

"Just go," Reno said flatly, "and that is an order." he added as an afterthought.

Rude and Elena shrugged, stuck between orders from Reeve and orders from Reno – not to mention the prospect of leaving him there. Nevertheless, they climbed the ladder, Elena glancing down the whole way.

After they were out of sight, Reno started walking down the hallway, until his trouble was met with a dead end. He frowned, and inspected the wall. Sure enough, one of the rocks stood out, white stone against light and dark shades of grey. Reno pressed it, leaning his weight against it, and sure enough, the shifting sound was made and a doorway-sized portion of the wall moved.

Reno looked forward, taking a step into the new part of the tunnel that held no light whatsoever. He could see enough, though, to find himself face to face with a pair of eyes. The hood's shadow disappeared from the figure's face, and he found himself staring at a female. She leaned in so she was almost nose to nose with Reno, eyes squinting as though inspecting him.

"You've…" she started, voice barely a whisper. Her eyes were wide in shock as she spoke again, "You've come to save me…?"

--

Though the night was dark, the heat spared no one. The humidity made clothes and hair stick to the bodies of their owners. Only the occasional breeze provided relief to the few people outdoors. Due to the humidity combined with the fact it was midnight, smart, sane people were asleep in their homes with Air Conditioners on full blast.

Vincent Valentine was smart, yes, but his sanity was questionable. At first sight he would seem a bit scary, but perfectly sane. It is often said, however, that no one is perfectly sane, and that would apply to Vincent Valentine. Under the smooth surface, turmoil lies.

His sanity was further questioned due to the fact he was walking through a forest in the ungodly weather. It was proved, though, that he wasn't completely oblivious to the heat as he slowly undid the buckles of his cape and swept it off, throwing it over his shoulder.

Digging in his pocket, he pulled out a folded piece of paper. He had received it two days ago. The note was informal, with lack of address or greeting. He hadn't even gotten it by mail, rather, by a messenger on a chocobo. The boy had been in his teens, and had said, "A lady hired me and told me to deliver this to a Mr. Vincent Valentine in Nibelheim with utmost care and urgency. She said I mustn't look at it, or suffer the consequences."

Vincent hadn't quite understood the secrecy of the actual note itself. The note hadn't been formal, with lack of greeting of even an address. The envelope lacked postage stamp and address – just a simple 'Vincent.'

The message itself was just a scrawled note, though the urgency was clear in the hurried, near-panic scrawl. However, it was still neat and readable, such a feat that could only be accomplished by the beloved Tifa Lockhart.

'Meet me in Gongaga ASAP

-Tifa

P.S. – Be there by the 17th'

He had immediately departed from the mansion, the only home he knew of, and set off on his black chocobo, Azrael, and made haste to Gongaga. On the first day, he had journeyed across the plain between Nibelheim and Cosmo Canyon, and he had gone into the Canyon. If it had not been his concern for Azrael, he would have kept going all night. As it was though, he camped out in the Canyon. The next day he arose with the morning light and continued to Cosmo Canyon's village. There he found that Nanaki had departed the previous day. By that time it was night, and he had stayed the night (against his wishes mind you). He would have left at dawn if the kind, old widow who had taken a liking to him and made him stay the night forced breakfast down his throat. 'Look at you!' she had said, 'so skinny, so thin! Here, Yenta make you eat a nice breakfast. You won't find food like this anywhere else! No one else cooks like Yenta!' When he had insisted he must leave, she had packed him a snack for the road to 'plump him up.'

Vincent had continued through the canyon, and finally left to find himself in the Gongaga area, the thick jungle that surrounded the river. Now it was midnight, and he was leading a sleepy Azrael through a thicker part of the jungle.

He pondered why Tifa would feel the need to summon AVALANCE members (or so he assumed, due to Nanaki's departure) for an emergency meeting. They'd gotten together at the holidays or for birthdays, as well as Cid and Shera's wedding. The most recent get together was New Years. The get together had been at Tifa's bar in Kalm, where Cloud and Tifa both lived. Cid and Shera had come as well as Barret, Nanaki, Vincent, Reeve and – inevitably with Reeve – The Turks. However, there had been tension at the otherwise fun party. There had been a severe lack of hyperactive ninja. Once again, Vincent found his thoughts drifting to the shinobi. Over the course of six months, they had lost touch with Yuffie.

They had all eventually painfully split ways, after duties they felt was theirs. Such as: partying, helping search and begin to clean up Midgar, partying, and make expected public debuts. Oh yes. And partying.

Vincent had obviously gone back to the Nibelheim Mansion, though hadn't retreated to his coffin as suspected. Rather he lived there, finding it difficult with past memories but…he had no other place to call home. Cid had gone back to Rocket Town, where he had greeted Shera warmly. (Goddamn woman! I just saved the world and you can't even make me some damn tea!?) Barret had gone back to Corel with Marlene and began and effort to rebuild the dump of a town. Tifa had established a bar in Kalm that was called _Final Heaven_, where she and Cloud lived - still, only friends. Reeve was making an ongoing attempt to rebuild Midgar, and became the president of Neo-Shinra, a company dedicated to finding an alternate means of power, rather than Mako. After a couple of months, when he couldn't make it to a get-together, he'd reactivated Cait Sith, making him independent rather than remote operated. This had been greeted with groans and – from a certain ninja – 'WHY GOD's. Yet they'd welcomed the cat and moogle back fondly. Nanaki had returned to Cosmo Canyon, taking his rightful position as guardian. Vincent shook his head – he'd only seen such fierce loyalty to a hometown in one other person.

Yuffie.

The ninja had returned to Wutai, and had frequently called her fellow AVALANCE members. She would call Vincent, making sure he hadn't gone back to sleep in 'that smelly, old, ratty coffin.' Once he had asked her why she cared and she launched into full-lecture mode.

"_Well Vinnie," she had said, "I don't think that your whole 'I'm not a vampire' thing would be very supported by the fact you sleep in a fricken coffin! I mean, you already dress all dark like not to mention have red eyes." _

"_Yuffie." _

"_When I was little, that's how all the kids depicted demons and soon people will think that you have fangs and little kids will run away because they'll think you'll suck their blood all 'hiss' like and adults will be like 'whoah, he saved the world? He couldn't have! He's too scary! That adorablee little ninja girl must have done all the work."_

"_Yuffie."_

"_And besides, I'm expecting you to bring me a present for my birthday – which is coming up by the way. I could really use some new throwing stars, my current ones are getting old and dull from cutting through so much **enemy flesh** and when I practice they lodge into trees and I got you a present for your birthday which had to be a surprise party because you didn't send invites because you didn't want anyone to celebrate your birthday-"_

"_Yuffie. I was not planning on returning to the coffin."_

_The PHS line had been silent for a few seconds. "Oh…Right. Well, bu-bye."_

However, almost a year from when they had departed, the phone calls started to die out. Yuffie would call him, but not as frequently and with less energy. A less observant man wouldn't have noticed her happy tone was more strained, and sometimes their sort-of conversation would be interrupted by hacking, wheezing coughs from the other line. The phone would usually be hung up after that. Phone calls because less frequent, and her tone would be tired and dull, though she tried to hide it by her upbeat Yuffie tone. Then, when they had Cid's birthday party, she hadn't shown up, though multiple invites had been sent after lack of RSVP. Cid himself had called her during the party and left a message on her machine. (Geez, brat, you can't even come to my #ing birthday party?) She didn't come to Tifa's party either.

They had compared the dates of the last phone calls from her, and Vincent had learned he was the last person to hear from the Wutain girl. Phone calls were no more, and letters sent were never responded to.

Vincent's thoughts were abruptly disrupted by an uneasy feeling, and the hair on the back of his neck rose. He came to a halt, Azrael copying him. He heard no noise, though out of the corner of his eye, he saw the slightest bit of movement. Sharply, he turned his head in time to see a lean figure up in a tree, silhouetted by the moonlight, facing him. The figure agilely leaped to a different tree, and then to another.

Crimson eyes narrowed, and Vincent crouched behind a bush, waiting for the thing. The figure leaped across to a tree across from Vincent. The figure was small, either a young (or just tiny) boy or a female. He/She leapt across to a tree, barely making it. Looking down, he or she apparently saw Vincent for they jumped to a different branch, staying on a branch no longer than 5 seconds before they leapt to another. Vincent jumped up, running to catch up. Soon he fell into pace with he/she, and soon he saw a large, flat boulder coming up from the ground, forming a cliff on the other side of it. Running on it, he sprung up to a tree branch with full force. Crouching, he landed and stood, just as the person was in mid-spring. He saw stormy grey eyes widen, and with the jump cut short they began to plummet.

However, Vincent reached out snatched the small wrist before they fell. Jerking them up, he grabbed what seemed to be a girl by the shirt, lifting them up to eye level. The familiar storm-grey eyes were wide as they stared into crimson ones.

"Why were you following me?" Vincent asked coldly, with a glare of steel.

The girl didn't answer immediately, slack jawed. He only stared coldly into those eyes. Those eyes that tickled a part of his brain, creating an odd sense of familiarity in him.

"Answer." he ordered.

"I followed you," a recognizable voice croaked, "…so you wouldn't follow me."

With bug eyes, he held the girl out at arms' length. Stormy grey eyes, forest green top, unbuttoned khaki short-shorts always on the verge of falling down, oversized arm guard, green headband with Wutain symbols, black hair, and that self assured smirk. It was official.

"Hey Vinnie," she dryly smirked, "been a while."

Yuffie Kisaragi had returned.

--

_The room was made of black carved stone. No light shone, the dark stone swallowing it, never releasing it from its cold stomach. In the circular room, it might be hard to see where the door was - or if there even was one - if one didn't already know where it was. In the middle of the room was a large circular table made from mahogany, the reddish color of the wood intensified by the surrounding black stone. The chairs were made of the same wood, with plush black velvet cushions on the backs and seats. Now, the chairs were occupied by many forms, some of them having a few attributes that weren't human and all of them not looking quite normal – but what stuck out was not their appearance, not the oddness of the room, but the air around the people; the otherness._

_At the north end of the table, it stopped its perfect circle and came to a smooth indent, as of someone had taken a perfect bite out of it. At this indent was three large chairs, almost like thrones but now only one was occupied, being scooted to the center and pushing the other chairs back. The occupied chair had a form with big, broad shoulders looking into a ball that perched on the table. The ball was a sphere the size of a head, seemingly pitch black. However, he seemed to see things in it, as everyone else waited anxiously. Finally, he waved a hand and the ball sunk into a hidden compartment in the table. Shutting it, he looked up and grinned in a large, toothy manner, wicked in nature and unnerving in looks. He hit the table with huge hands and leaned forward, his blood colored eyes carefully circling the table. Licking his lips, he straightened again. "My dear fellows," he laughed his barklike laugh, "There's been a change in the winds." His gruff voice dropped. "Our time has come."_


	2. Blood and Broken Dolls

**_A/N: _**I know I had no AN last chapter, so now I make up for it. This is uploaded sooner than it normally would be; I'm all itchy in wanting to get another chapter up. Anyhoo, for starters this is Circles. It was posted, and then a terrible thing happened; my computer crashed. This had to be, god, a year or longer ago. Not longer I think. Don't know, but I lost many chapters because they weren't backed up. I lost all iniative. But I deleted the old one, as much as it pained me, and now posted this one. It is a WIP, so things may change, though another delete most likely won't happen. Because it is a WIP, I'm open to suggests, constructive critism. I'm trying to get better - aren't we all?

Yes, this story has an OC in it. Don't groan; remember the days when OCs weren't all Mary Sues? Well, I haven't read many lately, but hopefully it is like that now. However, I'd love advice on my OC, from negative to positive, suggestions or commenting if it seems too much like anothe character, or if personality isn't strong enough.

Notice there is now a different quote for each chapter under the chapter title and under the chapter number. The latter is the new one. I know; my header is too big. I love quotes too much. It's horrible. So if you can connect them to the story (I do hope you'll be able to, though the first of the two won't always directly relate to teh chapter) or chapter, tell me so. I'd like to hope points are coming across. : All I can think of, except that disclaimer. Boo.

Might point out with recent stories I've seen that I have not seen Advent Children or played DOC. Yes, I am a sinner. I plan to do both, but I haven't been to Blockbuster in...forever. This disclaimer applies to the whole story, as much as I used to have fun with the Disclaimer. Well, it's not fun so...yush. :

**Disclaimer:** No, don't own FF7 stuff. Own my stuff, like plot, characters (that are mine), own innovations, stuff you don't recognize. Wish I did. But don't. :'D

* * *

_**Circles **_

**Chapter Two **

"_We walk in** circles,** so limited by our own anxieties that we can no longer distinguish between true and false, between the gangster's whim and the purest ideal_"

_**Blood and Broken Dolls**_

_Dead - Like a candle you burned out;  
spill the wax over the spaces left in place of angry words.  
Scream - To be heard, like you needed any more attention;  
throw the bottle, break the door, and disappear._

In Reno's line of work, instincts were a very important part of his job. Turks must depend on their instinct everyday, and no Turk survives long without sharp instincts. However, unrelated to his job, when a woman was usually this close to Reno's face, his instincts told him 'Reno, you are going to get lucky tonight.' Today was different.

The girl was a near inches from his face, when his instincts decided to kick in. After many years of loyal service, Reno had begun to trust his instincts, leading to his polite introduction.

"Who the hell are you?"

The girl seemed to snap into reality as she stepped sharply back from him. Even so, her face remained blank, only a biting of her bottom lip betraying her. She stood straight and had a dignified air around her, as though one should respect her. The way she held herself screamed authority; she held herself tall, shoulders pressed down. What more was it seemed unintentional. Her face was shadowed under the cloak. Though she stood as if she was authority – no, royalty – it was in a defeated way. Her shoulders were down, but so was her chin, as if the two were weighed down. Though not slumping, she recoiled into herself a little, as though trying to protect herself. As if she was trying to regain a shred of a ripped dignity.

…Broken, that was the word, he was looking for. Broken.

Reno raised an eyebrow at the girl, who stared him straight in the eye. The two held a gaze, engaged in a silent contest of wills. Reno leaned back against the wall, pulling out a cigarette and sticking it in his mouth. He fished for his lighter, never dropping his gaze. He lit the cigarette, and immediately the girl stared. Without so much of a shift of weight, she darted forward and snatched the stick from his mouth. Calmly, she threw it on the ground and stepped on it, killing the flame. However, he gaze upwards was a glare.

"Don't light another," she said quietly.

"What's it to you, babe?"

She raised her eyebrows, and Reno brushed her order aside, reaching up to the cigarette behind his ear, merely to annoy her. To his delight, it worked.

"Don't light it," she said coldly.

"Why shouldn't I?" Reno drawled.

She looked over her shoulder, then turned back and sighed. "I don't want to attract attention."

"In case you haven't noticed, Baby Doll, no one is here."

At his sentence her eyes widened in surprise. At the same time, a hand curled into a fist. The fist unclenched and clenched, hand tense and seeming to hold all her anger. As he watched the fist, the other hand shot out at him. Surprised, he wasn't to be taken off guard. One hand snapped up to grab her wrist before he could strike him. However, looking straight into her eyes she barely noticed the other hand.

But he noticed it. Grabbing the wrist of other hand, he raised eyebrows at her glare. He tightened his grip, glaring. He pulled her closer.

"You're rusty, baby doll." He grinned.

"Never," she whispered fiercely, "call me that."

His eyes danced. "What?"

He could feel her glare.

He grinned, and leaned in close to her face. "You mean, Baby Doll?"

As he leaned in, she leaned back, eyes widening. Her wrists tightened to try to fight from his grip and she pulled them towards her slightly. Now she looked at the ground, and she was recoiling slightly. He didn't let go. However, just as she was beginning to lift her head, she looked at him with her eyes. Suddenly her head shot forward and with a crack connected with his skull. With a curse he let go of her wrists, clutching at his head. She didn't step away, but she shrunk slightly, as if _he_ had nearly cracked her skull open. However, though at first it seemed she shrunk as though defenseless and scared, there was something in the way she recoiled that reminded him of a snake settling back after it bit you, wary and watching, ready to snap back.

Silence settled, only broken by muttered curses. He could swear she was grinning, but whenever he looked over, her lips were a straight line. He cradled his head, but instead of over-dramatizing, he let his arms fall to his side. "So sorry doll, but as much as I'd love to chit-chat, I must be on my way." He turned on his heel, prepared to walk back into the tunnel he'd come from. He had barely taken two steps when he was stopped in his tracks.

"Wait!" she exclaimed, and he turned around to find her having took a step towards her. He looked at her.

"Because I…" she started, her voice dropping slightly. "need your help."

"And why," Reno inquired lazily, "would I help you? In case you forgot, you just smashed your skull against my head." He rubbed the smarting area. "And if you didn't know, your head isn't exactly _soft._"

The girl opened her mouth slightly, looking a bit surprised. As if she'd expected him to help her. He snorted, not realizing she was staring past him, not at him.

"Hmph. I have no reason to help you, or to stay. You, actually, are probably the reason I'm down in this musty, old passageway-"

Reno was abruptly cut off by a loud noise, and scraping noises. By the time he registered what it was and turned around, only a sliver of the doorway was open, and then the wall shut completely. They were concealed in the pitch black, the faint torchlight from the other passage vanished. Only beams of moonlight slid down from the circle in the far off ceiling. Eyes widening, he ran his hands over the stones where the sliding wall was, though it felt and looked identical to the rest of the wall. He pressed against it, finding his efforts were in vain.

"You'll help me," the voice came, "because now we have the same goal."

Reno scowled, his back to her, hands pressed up against the wall. "And what is that?"

"To escape here as soon as possible."

"Would you care explaining to me," he started dryly, turning his head sideways so he could see her out of one eye, "why we didn't just walk out the door that was _just there_."

"Because it will lead nowhere. …Nowhere that we want to go, anyway."

He stared. "There was a ladder. We would have gone up it and boom, we're out."

"There wasn't a ladder," she said calmly, inspecting her nails in the scant light.

"Psshht, doll, looks like that collision of heads rattled your brains a bit. Two other people just went up that ladder."

"I know. But you were so busy telling me why you wouldn't help me that you didn't even notice that behind you, the ladder wasn't there anymore. It went through a hole that opened in the floor below it. You would have been trapped in there until someone else came down or you actually figured out how to get out."

"I don't know if I look _dumb_, doll, but I think I would have gotten out."

She made a noise of disbelief. "All I'm saying is that you and your little friends were_ lucky_ that your ladder was just one that sinks into the floor

Leaning against the wall, he crossed his arms over his chest. "'Just one that sinks into the floor?'" he repeated.

With what sounded like an impatient sigh, she waved an arm to the wall, where a ladder was. "Many of the ladders are rigged. With most, at least two people or X amount of weight must be on them. If one person or any number under X is on the ladder for more than X amount of time without an addition of weight or them getting off (0 weight), the ladders will explode. Also, you have to always keep moving, or the reaction will be the same as if there wasn't enough weight. That's only one of the types of ladders here. It is made this way because it disables a single person to leave, and they're certain that they would catch larger groups. And they're right."

"Isn't someone 'Miss Observant'" he scoffed. "And just _what_ do you suppose happened to it, Baby Doll?

Annoyance flickered across her features. "How should I know?"

"You seem to be a bit of an expert on these ladders."

She raised an eyebrow, "All I did was heard the right things at the right time."

"From whom?" Reno prodded.

She ignored the question, moving to the north side of the small, circular chamber. She touched the wall, which moonlight revealed to hold a ladder, broken a bit and missing pieces in places. "This ladder requires weight that I wouldn't fulfill on my own. But if you and I climb up the ladder together, the weight will be great enough."

"So gain weight," he snapped.

"Look who's talking."

"But again doll…why the _hell_ should I help you?

"Because without me, you won't be able to climb up this ladder without exploding."

"And vice versa?" Reno said.

"And vice versa. But I need…reassurances."

Reno did bother holding back his snicker. "You've been watching too many mafia movies." He shook his head, but asked: "What kind of 'reassurances?'"

"As soon as we get out of this Leviathan-forsaken well, you will forget that you met me. You will forget you ever saw, heard me. Alright?"

This girl was sounding more and more mysterious every moment, and a natural curiosity made him peer over her shoulder. Did he hear water? However, one thing she said caught his attention. She had said 'Leviathan-forsaken,' which could mean one of two things. She had either referred to the fact the well was dried up, since water was Leviathan's domain; or she belonged to a race that honored the Water God – Wutain.

"But I don't have any secrets. I don't feel the need to conceal the fact I was here – in fact, I need to confirm it for my job." He caught a wince on her part. "I won't ask you why you feel the need to 'conceal your existence' or whatever the hell _that's _about, but in return I want something."

"What?" she asked, biting her bottom lip.

He smirked, "I'll need you to remove your hood." He needed to know what this girl looked like. No matter that just thinking of paperwork put him in a whole new dimension of misery, he knew that if he wrote down 'cloaked girl' Reeve would kill him thrice over. Probably send him on a mission to find 'cloaked girl.'

In a moment of debating with herself, she must have decided that getting out was worth showing Reno her face. So reaching up, she pulled down the hood, and she stepped directly under a beam of light.

Reno found himself looking at a young female. She seemed to be of an age anywhere from seventeen to twenty. Her almond shaped eyes confirmed his suspicion she was at least part Wutain. Her skin was Her hair was black, reaching just past her collarbone, bangs brushed across her face. Her expression was carefully blank, though her eyes peered at him that could have been a shy way, had he never heard her talk. Most strikingly, her eyes a deep green-blue color – not the colors blended, but the green-blue of deep water, more green than blue. They were most unlike Reno's aquamarines, but made him feel like he was staring into deeper, clear waters of a lake. They seemed to hold the essence of water, almost giving the illusion of rippling. But with her face so blank and poise so perfect combined with the sliver of moonlight shining down, Reno's first glance gave him the impression of…well…a doll.

She'd just earned herself a nickname.

The doll image was ruined when she scowled, though an underlying hope was evident in her tone, "So…you'll help me?"

"…Sure Baby Doll." He drawled

She glared fiercely at him for a moment, but she seemed to change her mind and the glare slid seamlessly into a grin, and he couldn't find himself able to place the moment the emotions changed. "Good. You'll get on the ladder, but climb quickly so I can get on. When one of us gets off, the other has to get off immediately. We're inside a well, in case you haven't noticed, and that ring is the top. I wouldn't be able to move it by myself. We'll be in the backyard of the Shinra mansion, and we'll part ways."

Reno took in the information, looking up. From his Mako enhanced eyes, he could see that at parts, the ladder broke off completely.

"Ready?" she asked, peering over at him. He nodded, and she motioned for him to go first. "Be careful; it's old and rusted."

"Mmmhmmm, gotcha." Reno said, before climbing up the ladder. A faint ticking sound began, a sound which ended as soon as Doll got on the ladder.

The ladder groaned its complaint, the combined weight of the two pulling it slightly from the wall. Hand after hand, foot after foot the two continued upwards, the pale circle of moonlight seeming no closer or further than it was before. Then again, the ladder seemed endless, and the walls never changed their eternal stone pattern. Somewhere, droplets of water fell onto stone floor, adding to the night's song.

The ladder did end, though not where it was supposed to. Reno stared up to find that a large hunk of ladder was missing. Sure, pieces had been missing on the climb up, but they could deal with those. This however…

Reno reached up, trying to grab the rung where the ladder continued up above, without success. His arm barely reached halfway. Baby Doll stopped below him, perturbed by the delay.

"We have a problem." He announced.

"What?" She asked impatiently.

"Big gap…"

"Just reach over it," Baby Doll said with the air of a teacher talking to a particularly clueless student.

"Can't."

He heard a sigh from behind him. "It's hopeless," she groaned quietly. "It's hopeless…I'm doomed. _Doomed _sweet Leviathan _doomed._"

Reno found no answer to that, so he just said, "So, what sho-"

"Shhh," she cut him off.

He obediently stopped talking, hearing nothing but the annoying drip of water and his own breathing. He opened his mouth, about to ask what they were doing, when he got his answer.

A ticking sound met his ears, ticking each second. Confused, Reno looked around for the source of the noise. His searching led him back to staring in front of him…at the ladder. Dread creeping onto his face, he leaned into the ladder, ear against the side. The ticking sound was louder, and soon, one after the other, more ticking joined the first. Reno paled in recognition.

The ticking sounds kept joining, going down the ladder. Reno quickly scanned the distance between the two ladders. In a period of two seconds, he made a decision which could be the death of him. Then again, that wasn't exactly new for him.

Climbing up on the top rung, he braced himself, leaning slightly against the wall. Bending his knees, he sprung up. He stretched his arms in front of him, ready to grab the other ladder. His fingers reached and one hand grasped the very bottom rung of the ladder. He hung off the end of the ladder, ticking sound amplifying and echoing in the narrow well.

Reno looked down, eyes widening as he couldn't see the bottom anymore. Looking up, his brow furrowed in concentration. Reaching up, he grasped the rung with two hands, and began to climb up the ladder. However, on his ladder, a slow ticking sound had begun. The ticking had become deafening, drowning out all noise.

Baby Doll scrambled up the ladder, the rungs creaking in protest. The ticking grew faster, the intervals between ticks growing shorter. She scrambled, eyes widening as the ticks grew faster and faster and faster-

Then they stopped.

She copied Reno and leapt off the ladder, grabbing onto Reno's foot and leg as the ladder blew up in a small explosion, rooted further down. Her knees curled up to meet her chest as she clung to Reno's foot like some odd monkey. Tones of red, orange and yellow lit the well, as the wind rushed past them, blowing their hair forward. Heat tore at their skin and at their clothes, ripping patches off. The explosion finally disappeared, having nothing to catch fire to, other than the small flames on the two humans, which had been quickly rid of.

Silence overtook the area, as natural as oxygen itself. Finally, Reno spoke. "Sorry if you're having fun down there, but you need to grab the ladder."

Obediently Baby Doll let go of his foot, hand by hand and got on the ladder. They continued to the top, not making a sound. They passed over other gaps, not as large as the one in the middle of the ladder. Finally they reached the top, the ring of light right above them – their ticket to the outside world.

"How are we going to do this?" Reno murmured.

After a hushed debate, Baby Doll went around Reno, getting on the ladder in front of him since she was shorter. Reno was just a rung behind her, and they gripped the ladder with their legs, trying to push off the heavy lid.

At last it gave way, moonlight spilling into the well. Looking down, the pair realized just how far they had climbed. The area below them was a black abyss, seeming to have no end. Without a sound, Baby Doll pulled herself up and out of the well. Just as soon as her foot left the ladder, the ticking sound began again. Above, he heard Baby Doll gasp. Instead of risking another explosion, Reno clung to the side of the well, pulling himself up and out of the well.

He had assumed Baby Doll had gasped due to the ticking noise, but as soon as he straightened he found he was incorrect. In the light of the moon, he saw that her cloak had been ripped apart, long strips burnt out of it. The end was also burnt, so it now brushed her heels. Yet, this wasn't why she gasped either. Reno saw her in profile, looking at her wrist. For wrapped around her wrist was a man's hand.

Her face turned up to the man. He seemed to be about 6"0, a good five inches taller than her. He was tan, as though he grew up in a place with tons of sunshine, like Costa de Sol. Bright green eyes shone like a cat that had finally caught its mouse. Brown hair was messy and hung over his eyebrows, threatening eyes. "_Poupee_…" he whispered, "will you ever learn? …Broken dollies can't run."

--

Vincent's eyes were wide, caught in a moment of shock. Yuffie grinned characteristically, though the grin slid off her face. She looked beneath her, the jungle floor seeming miles away.

"So Vin-Vin…do you think you could – oh, I don't know – put me down or something?"

Vincent snapped out of his revere, and moved the ninja to the tree branch he stood on. She pulled down her shirt that had begun to ride up and sat down. Her back was against the truck, with one leg hanging off the branch, the other on the branch.

"Long time no see, Monster Man."

Vincent winced at one of many hated nicknames. Yuffie had shut her eyes, trying to disguise the heaving breaths she was taking, as if she had just run a marathon. Storm-grey eyes opened again, looking up at Vincent. For a moment, a fleeting second, he looked into her eyes and saw something he'd never seen in the ninja's eyes before. He saw…exhaustion, sadness…defeat. The look vanished completely, replaced by a blank look.

After a period of silence (not uncommon when one is around Vincent), Yuffie broke the silence (again, not uncommon). "Well Vin-Vin, it's been a pleasure seeing you, but I'm afraid I have matters to which I must attend."

She swung the leg on the tree branch over so she was sitting on one side of the branch, ready to start the journey down.

"Yuffie, stop." Vincent ordered.

Looking to her side, Yuffie looked at Vincent, a tad bit wearily. "What Vincent?"

"Where have you been?" No beating around the bush with Vincent.

Yuffie raised her eyebrows at him. "Around."

"Around where?" He demanded.

Yuffie sighed, making hand gestures as she spoke. "Oh you know. Here and there…just hanging around."

"Why aren't you in Wutai?"

"Why aren't you in Nibelheim?" Yuffie challenged.

Vincent didn't respond, only watching as she prepared herself to jump down onto the next branch. Just as she was about to launch off, Vincent grabbed a chunk of the back of her shirt, holding her back. Glaring up at him, Yuffie stuck out her tongue. Yes – this was Yuffie.

"You're coming with me." He told her before he realized he'd decided.

"No." Yuffie said flatly.

"Yes." Vincent declared, pulling her up by her shirt. She struggled, but she seemed to resent getting a tear in her already battered shirt.

Stormy grey eyes locked a gaze with crimson ones. "You won't – you_ can't_ - make me."

Vincent sighed. "I can. I will."

Yuffie grit her teeth, giving him a cold glare even Shiva would envy. "What a time to start caring about someone other than yourself and that Lucy girl." she grumbled, and Vincent's eyes flashed.

"Put me down." She demanded, taking advantage of his flash of weakness.

"You don't have a clue of how worried the others are." he stated in the same, blank voice as usual, betraying neither anger nor anything else, though even he was surprised at what was coming out. "I fear I let the aftermath of the adventure in Wutai fool me. I actually fell under the impression you weren't just a ninja brat. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice…shame on me."

Yuffie's eyes widened, either hurt or surprised at Vincent's near paragraph. An angry expression settled on her face. "This coming from Mr. 'I must redeem myself for all my sins and I don't give a damn about any of you!' Where'd Vincent go, 'cause this fellow here has me boggled."

Silence settled over the two. Their eyes were locked in glare, and neither seemed to give up. At last, a cough from Yuffie broke the silence. She pressed her lips into a line, as if suppressing any other coughs. "Well…see ya." Yuffie said, prepping to jump down again. In a second, the ninja was springing down from branch to branch, flipping off onto the forest floor.

"Who does that Vincent think he is?" she grumbled. "Yuffie Kisaragi does what _she_ wants, not what anyone else orders her to. Even if that person is rather scary looking with four demons inside him. Nuh-uh." Yuffie muttered to herself, as she moved away from the tree in which he stood. "Just showing up out of nowhere and saying that I have to go with him. No way."

Yuffie slithered through the night, going nowhere and getting there fast. Her lungs felt like they were ready to burst, and at last could hold it back no longer. Hacking coughs began to emit from her mouth. Holding her hand up to her mouth, she pressed her back against a tree. Sliding her back down the trunk, she came into a sitting position, knees sliding from her chest. Her eyes glazed over as she coughed more, red substance splattering on her hands. Blood.

She wiped it on an already blood spotted handkerchief, looking at it with disgust; a disgust that filled her eyes with shame and loathing, bordering on self-disgust. Sighing, she shut her eyes and tilted her head back. The moonlight that fought through the canopy shone onto her face, casting it in a pale, eerie glow, the edges in shadow.

Sighing, she convinced herself she'd spent too much time sitting, and had to get a move on. She slid up the tree, and wearily, she lifted lead weight eyelids. Eyes that opened so sluggishly quickly grew wide as they gazed onto a dark, towering figure standing in front of her, silent in his approach. The moonlight slid over the man, revealing a blood red cape slung over a shoulder as the ends blew in the faint wind. Creepily silhouetted in the moonlight, Vincent Valentine stared down at her.

"That's why you're coming with me." He stated.

Yuffie's mouth fell open, cheeks turning pink before darkening to red with rage. "You were following me." She yelled furiously, stomping her foot. She wasn't sure what made her more furious; that he had been following her or that she hadn't suspected it. Or detected him. Why hadn't she?

A nod.

Had she wanted to?

Yuffie's fists clenched, and – acting on it's own free will – her fist raised and shot forward, a mere few inches from connecting with the ex-Turk's jaw.

That was, until, a gloved hand caught it. Yuffie wrinkled her nose at Vincent and stuck out her tongue, before leaning back against her tree. Cold red eyes watched her, waiting for her to try and escape; but she wasn't going to try. They stayed like that for a while, an occasionally glare on her part, until even that seemed to require too much effort. At last, the gaze was dropped.

Vincent led her to the other side of a large boulder by the water. There he set up 'camp,' which consisted of a sleeping back he'd let her use (the sleeping bag had been forced upon back at Cosmo Canyon), and a fire to keep away unwanted guests. Yuffie didn't fight him at all. She merely nibbled the piece of bread he'd given her - not devour – just nibble it in a very un-Yuffie-like fashion.

She only nodded when he said they were to leave at dawn, and she didn't attempt to escape when he went to gather firewood. The young ninja was being pleasurable, cooperative and a perfect angel.

He didn't trust her one bit.


	3. Fleeing and Falling

**_Circles_**

**Chapter Three **

_"No wonder I'm dizzy, the world keeps spinning in **circles"**_

_**Fleeing and Falling**_

_When it rains, it pours_

Baby Doll's eyes narrowed, her mouth curling into a frown. "Tate," she hissed, "Let me go."

"Why?" this 'Tate' asked quietly. However, his eyes shone brightly – almost as though he was telling a funny joke. Yet Baby Doll looked as though she'd rather never see him again, green-blue eyes transforming into storms. He leaned closer to her as she leaned backwards, though he was hardly close.

"Well you see, Tate-r, I've already had my daily 'wrist grabbing;' you see, I'm afraid _he,_" she jerked her head towards Reno, "beat you to that one." At her mention, his head turned to the side and he apparently caught glimpse of the Turk for the first time, seemingly surprised he was there.

Looking at Reno up and down, his eyes filled with an expression that was a mixture between glee and horror; between confusion and understanding. His lips were turned up in a smirk that, however handsome it made him look, it made you want to claw his face off at the same time. He snorted and looked at Reno disdainfully. "Another pawn?"

Her eyes widened and she glared passionately. Anger flared in her eyes, and he barely saw her arm move when she was holding something that the moonlight glinted off of. In surprise, Tate let go of her wrist. Instantly, she spun away, flinging one of the objects in her hand. It whistled through the air, and Tate rolled on the ground the avoid it, jumping up as if he was a cat. However, another one of these objects spun through the air, and even as Tate gracefully performed a back-handspring to avoid it another was spinning at him. By now, Reno had gathered they were throwing stars, and one lodged itself into Tate's shoulder as he landed. He hissed, his body tensing up in pain. Then he reached to his shoulder and wrenched it out with a sickening sound, inspecting the bloody metal.

"…poison?" he chuckled, pain seeping into his words. Another flew at him, but he used the one in his hand to deflect it. He snorted ungracefully. "This isn't meant to kill." Procuring something from one of his pockets, he raised a glass tube of liquid to his mouth and tilted it in.

"Must you be so dramatic about _everything?_" Baby Doll sighed, ruining the 'encounter.'

"Yes."

Baby Doll rolled her eyes then glared as she stuck two fingers in her mouth. A sharp whistle stung Reno's ears, and the sound of pounding against dirt rose. The sound changed to clicking over stones, and around the corner came a black chocobo.

Tate had downed the liquid, and stood up. He grunted as the sickening shifting was heard as he reached into his shoulder, and emerged with a bloody throwing star.

Baby Doll jumped on the moving chocobo, cloak ripping in the wind behind her. As if the cloak had clung to her instead of her putting it on, she glared at it in annoyance. The chocobo stampeded forward – straight towards Reno.

From his back, Tate drew an odd weapon; a sword? No, there was a trigger. A _gunblade?_ Raising it up, his eyebrows furrowed in concentration. He wouldn't hit her…just the chocobo. His vision flickered, though, to the Turk. The Turk had unconsciously gathered his weapon in his hand. Ah…perfect. He moved the gun blade's target.

The chocobo moved faster than any chocobo Reno had ever seen. Baby Doll looked over at Tate, and she seemed to groan. Reno looked as well, to find the business end of the gunblade pointed straight at him.

Looking resentfully at him, she seemed to sigh sighed, then shouted: "Fine. Get on."

Reno's body did without brain, jumping on the black blur as it moved. Nearly falling off the side of the chocobo, he wrapped his arms around Doll's stomach, hanging on before he slipped off. However, one hand decided to do the Turkly thing, and snaked to his gun.

Shots rang out into the air, towards where the chocobo would be moving. Three shots, following each other in rapid procession.

Though they were being shot at, and riding straight towards the fence, Baby Doll didn't look upset or shocked or fearful – just annoyed. She clung to the neck of the chocobo, and one of Reno's hands clung to her. Yet the other pointed the gun straight at Tate, and began shooting out bullets rapidly.

With an almighty jerk of the reins the chocobo made a sharp right, nearly throwing the two off. The chocobo, barely missing the bullets, charged at the low gate that was the entrance to the mansion. But Tate's attention was already diverted as the Turk pulled the gun. Muscles tensed but instinct took over, as he dropped to the ground and rolled, finding safety behind the well. But by the time he raised his gunblade to shoot, the blur had headed up the mountain. Sighing, Tate held his throbbing shoulder. Looking wistfully at the mountain, he scowled. "This isn't over." He said to no one, and headed over to the mansion, to go back into the secret entrance he came from. Lights were going on in town, and soon frantic ladies in gowns and men in nightcaps would rush out to see why the sound of bullets had ripped through their sleep. Slipping through the hidden door on the side of the mansion (the _small _hidden door, he might add as he got on hands and knees), Tate held his bleeding shoulder. He wasn't giving up.

He_ never_ gave up.

--

The fast black chocobo raced up the mountain, the change in terrain nothing to the chocobo. Holstering his gun, he put his other arm around Baby Doll's stomach, because he was NOT about to fall off. The chocobo slowed a bit, but still went rather quickly down the winding path of Mt. Nibel.

"…What the hell." Reno burst out, breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"Welcome to my world." She looked back at him, the light of the moon giving more light to him then before. Apparently she didn't like what she saw for she flicked her head back around, nearly giving Reno a mouthful of hair. "And surely someone like _you_ would know all about what was going on back there."

"The hell that's supposed to mean?"

"Surely you aren't _dumb_," she glanced back at him with a disdainful eye. "…Then again."

"I resent that."

By now the sun had risen, a testament to how long the entire ordeal had taken. The horizon filled with brilliant shades of red and orange, outlining the mountain peak. Baby Doll looked behind her, trying to see around Reno, in case Tate was following them. However, in this look, the sunlight allowed Reno to get a proper look of her face and he saw bags under her eyes, her eyelids unconsciously drooping. So as she turned around, allowing the chocobo to settle to a trot, he didn't say anything. They weren't supposed to get acquainted, if they were to depart from each other as soon as possible.

Reno soon got lost in his thoughts, wondering where the hell Rude and Elena had gone off to. However, it was more than likely that Rude and Elena had heard the bullets, but they had been nowhere in sight. One option had been they were hiding in the shadows, but when Reno had been threatened, they would have helped him. He knew they would.

That meant they were no longer in town; but without him? They wouldn't just leave him, growing bored with waiting.. Something had happened; and he was determined to find out what. Maybe someone had gotten to them? They wouldn't let it…but…

Something struck Reno's sleepy brain. _Where_ had Baby Doll and Crazy Gunblade Guy come from? …they must have been from the mansion – well. Baby Doll had talked of _escape_, not just getting out. If she was merely lost in the mansion, then why be so mysterious about it? Possible she wasn't supposed to go in the mansion, but for some reason he doubted it. But if Tate and Baby Doll came from inside the mansion, who was to say that others weren't there? And these others…what if they got Rude and Elena?

"Yo. Baby Doll." Reno broke the silence again, but this time he got no response. That didn't bother him though. "What did you mean before? What happened back there? _Who are you_?"

However, his inquiries were met with silence, and he noticed that the girl was slumped, leaning against the neck of the chocobo. Looking down at the shorter girl, he found that eyelids had fallen over eyeballs, and she had succumbed to sleep. She was also slumping so much she was going to fall off the chocobo. Pulling her up, Reno reached around her and took the reins, though the chocobo navigated expertly. "Get us off this damned mountain," Reno mumbled, and indeed it did.

--

Yuffie awoke the next morning, grey eyes only half showing. She crawled over to the pool, splashing cold water onto her face. Eyes snapped fully open, and she shook her face as a dog would. Looking at her reflection, she saw a tired girl who'd been away from civilization far to long. A princess who'd made the jungle her castle. A ninja who, however untrustworthy or bratty she may be or seem, would do anything to keep the ones she loved from getting hurt. Much less profound, she saw some girl who looked like shit.

That was Yuffie; take it or leave it.

Her absence had been noted, as Vincent Valentine came around the corner. Now, when Yuffie looked at Vincent she saw a stoic man who worried far too much about what sins he may or may not be committing. A man who lived so much in the past, he forgot he had a future. A man who was so caught up in the love of years ago, he forgot he had friends in the present. A strong fighter who fought for no one. That was Vinnie; take it or leave it.

"See," she said in a 'know-it-all' tone of voice, "I didn't run away at the first possible opportunity."

He eyed her distrustfully. "You're waiting for the second."

"Is there even going to be one?"

"Doubtful."

Yuffie closed her eyes and shook her head, a smile playing on her lips. Forcing herself to stand up, she groaned. As most other mornings, every inch of her body ached. No matter how often she stretched, or what she did, she would be aching. Then again, it had been going on since…_this_ started, so she had grown used to it.

Yuffie stared into the sky as Vincent packed up 'camp' (aka: sleeping bag). Storm clouds had rolled over the jungle; the kind of storms that poured then passed, not bothering to linger. While Yuffie had been observing the weather, Vincent had started to walk, leading Azrael. Trotting to catch up with the man (he took very long strides), Yuffie allowed Vincent to relish the small amount of silence she would grant him for the day.

Time's up.

"So where we goin' Vin-Vin?"

"Gongaga."

"Why?"

"…don't you know?" Vincent asked, a bit surprised. He'd assumed she'd at least heard of the meeting.

"Well Vinnie, if I knew, I wouldn't be asking you, now would I?" Yuffie stated in a very matter-of-fact tone.

"…Everyone's meeting."

Yuffie stopped dead in her tracks. Pearl-grey eyes grew as wide as saucers, as things began to click in her mind.

Of course AVALANCE was meeting. Did she really believe it was a mere coincidence that Red XIII had just happened to be passing through the jungle mere day or two before Vincent? She'd managed to lure him out; she'd even made a damn path for the cat; sorta. However, being the highly intellectual being he is, he left the jungle in the quickest route possible, due to the Greatest Female Ninja ever. Not that he knew that.

It had been luck that the cat hadn't sniffed her out. Part-luck, anyway. Part totally-amazing ninja skill. She'd covered herself completely in mud and leaves – grossness, mind you – to cover up her scent, and followed Red at a distance. There were a few close calls, like when she'd barely finished tying a 'trail marker' when the big cat came up the path. Being the super-sneaky, stealthy ninja she was, she'd climbed up the tree. Red had paused for a moment when a dumb bird had flown away as she'd approached. He'd moved on though.

Red would be the most likely to pass through the jungle; after all, the Canyon's right next door. Shouldn't Yuffie Kisaragi: Ninja Extraordinaire be able to put two and two together?

"Yuffie?" Vincent asked, stopping after the girl had fallen far behind him.

"Vinnie…" she started, putting on her most dazzling smile.

"Yuffie." Crimson eyes narrowed.

"It's been fabulous, Vin, but I hafta run." Yuffie hadn't even finished her sentence when she started sprinting.

She tore through the jungles, leaves falling onto her hair and thorns scraping her as she ran through branches. The trees actually seemed to thin a bit, but she barely noticed this as she tore past her surroundings. The trees thinned and less ferns and bushes grew on the floor.

Then she saw why.

Screeching to a stop, Yuffie found herself staring down a large cliff, and at the bottom of the cliff was the river. The cliff wasn't vertical; it sloped down towards the river. That still didn't mean Yuffie wanted to take a tumble down it. The waterfall wasn't far off; the cliffs were only near the waterfall. They lowered to normal ground further down the river.

"Don't move." Vincent ordered, as if she had somewhere to move. He had drawn his gun, and was pointing it straight at Yuffie. Her eyes widened. "You're not leaving."

"…you wouldn't shoot me?" Yuffie said, her statement turning into a question.

Crimson eyes were level with grey ones.

Yuffie seemed to think, her expression becoming grave, exposing things he hadn't noticed. A glimpse of a different Yuffie; not the Yuffie that Vincent knew. Her skin was much paler, noticeable even though she was covered in dirt. There were bags under her eyes, as if she hadn't slept for a year. Her silky hair hung limp, tangles making home and leaves intertwining with her locks. There was no life in grey eyes; they didn't shine and dance as they used to. They were just…empty. No smile played at the corner of her lips. And even with this serious expression, no impression of Vincent came, usually the only time she donned such a blank look. But even then, she hid a smile and her eyes sparked.

Not now.

"Go ahead." Yuffie broke Vincent from his observations. "Go ahead, I said. Go ahead and shoot me."

Vincent was filled with surprise. She was asking him to shoot her? Surely, some ninja trick she was pulling. Yet something said she wasn't. Perhaps it was the fact her eyes were unnaturally watery.

"I…I said shoot me!" Yuffie ordered, "Shoot me! Right here." She pointed to her heart, though she knew had Vincent shot her, it would be only to disable her. And they both knew he probably wouldn't have. "…Death has got to be better than life right now." The gun lowered. The happy, peppy Yuffie Kisaragi was asking him to kill her. She wanted to die. What was going on?

"Shit Vincent, hurry up!" her voice cracked.

"Yuffie…"

"You said you would do it!" she accused, voice cracking.

"I said no such thing."

"But you implied it. You meant it. You said it in your own Vincenty way."

Vincenty. Something only Yuffie would say. Yet she didn't say it with jest; she just said it flatly. In the monotone that Vincent used. What was going on with her…?

"Yuffie…"

"Don't 'Yuffie' me! As far as I'm concerned, Yuffie died! Yuffie was the one who traveled around the world… Yuffie wasn't…Yuffie wasn't…"

But he didn't get to find out what Yuffie wasn't.

A few tears had escaped from the ninja's eyes, but that wasn't why she stopped. She stopped because she had started to cough, hacking coughs that shook her whole body. Dots of blood covered her hand, and sweat was beading on her face. Her coughs grew more violent, and by now Vincent had rushed over, unsure of what to do.

Yuffie gasped, as if she was running out of air. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and her body went limp. Yuffie Kisaragi had fainted; right over the side of the cliff.

Springing into action without thinking, Vincent caught Yuffie's limp body. But he couldn't stop from falling; he was thrown off balance, on the edge of the cliff. Even he couldn't do anything with that situation.

Knocked off the edge of the cliff, Vincent instinctively curled into a ball, bracing himself. They tumbled down the slope, and Vincent gasped as his head hit a hard object. His vision went black around the edges, spots in his vision. Blinking rapidly, the blackness receded. This fall could kill them, if you didn't approach it in the right way. They rolled down the side, hitting bushes and trees that had grown out of the rock.

"…huh…?" Yuffie had apparently regained consciousness at the perfect time. Mid-fall.

Realizing this, Yuffie's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. Yet she didn't move; not that she could, in Vincent's tight grasp. She could only pray to Leviathan and promise various acts of good if they survived ("Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod, Leviathan I promise that I'll never make fun of Great Aunt again! Even though she does have that giant mole and yellow teeth and-"). When it seemed they would roll down forever, Yuffie caught a glimpse of something that made her heart drop into her stomach.

The river.

"Deep breath!" Yuffie called out, her voice a bit muffled.

She'd said it just in time, as the Tumbling Two were plunged into the cold river. Yuffie opened her eyes, whacking at Vincent's fingers so he'd let go of her stomach. He complied, and she turned around underwater.

Vincent's red eyes were open, but only half-way, as though he had to fight to keep them open. They were closer to the waterfall, so they were pushed downstream quicker. Vincent wasn't trying to swim to the top…rather, he was sinking.

Her eyes widened; Vincent was holding one foot, trying to yank off his boot. Of course; they would weigh him down…maybe make him drown. Damn metal-toed thingies. As he tried to deal with his left foot, Yuffie swam down and grabbed his right foot. Surprised, he looked at her with wide eyes, before realizing what she was doing.

As Yuffie glanced at Vincent, she thanked the fact her hair wasn't as long as his. His hair was spreading out in the water, floating around his face and getting in his eyes, distracting him from his task. Finally he yanked off his one boot and he dropped it. Yuffie tugged on his boot; it was hard to try to get off a boot when you were rapidly sinking. Finally his shoe slipped off and Yuffie began to swim upwards.

She could barely swim. Her arms protested, legs didn't want to move. She was tired; she'd just gotten over a fainting spell. Yet she swam upwards, cursing the fact that their two-man cannonball had taken then down further than she'd like. Her breath was running out, and the surface seemed so far away. Still she swam upwards. Yuffie's lungs were searing, screaming for air. Her arms grew weaker with lack of oxygen; it took more and more effort to move them through the water. The surface was so far away…yet she swam.

Finally her face broke through the surface, and she took hungry gasps for air. Raven hair stuck to her face, plastered against her head. With tired arms she swam over to the opposite shore, a flat 'beach' of sorts before the river. Heaving herself onto shore, she lay there, breathing heavily. She coughed a bit, watching with a bored expression as a few rocks were decorated with red. She was so tired…she wanted to just shut her eyes – but no. She wouldn't be weak. Not again. Not in front of Vincent. Not in front of anybody.

On her side as she was, she could just lay down and go to sleep. In fact, she started to, eyes closing as she sneezed and spit out some swallowed water. But her realization that Vincent hadn't even moved made her eyes snap open. Turning over, she found Vincent on the shore also, eyes shut. Things like this rarely tired Vincent, and Yuffie's brows knit in confusion.

"Vincent?" she asked weakly.

She got no response.

"Vinnie?" she crawled over.

Silence. Shaking the man a bit, she found he did not wake. Yuffie bit her lip; he was unconscious. Fumbling around for something, she at last procured a watch. The watch was broken. The hour hand no longer worked, but the minute and second hands still turned. Yuffie could see how long Vincent was unconscious.

One minute. Yuffie had medical training; it was necessary. Ninjas had to know almost everything. Yuffie had asked what Wutain history had to do with being a ninja. To that, her father said that leaders had to know everything. That was apparently wrong. Look at former President Shinra.

Two minutes. Therefore, Yuffie had basic medical training. She was no doctor, but she was trained – after all, she'd been around the world various times on her own. 'If you're in agonizing pain, do you think you're going to stop and inspect if the cause of your agonizing pain is a break or fracture?' she had asked. No one had answered her.

Three minutes. Though, she was thankful now. Yuffie hadn't thought she'd travel in a group until AVALANCHE came along. Then and now it came in handy. Perhaps her father knew something. Yuffie snorted.

Her attention was drawn when Vincent opened his eyes once more, regaining consciousness. With a groan, he rolled onto his other side and vomited. Yuffie winced; she had to endure vomiting every boat, plane, train and automobile ride.

"Jeez Vince, always have to outdo me, don't you?" Yuffie teased.

Vincent looked up wearily with half-open eyes, before groaning and rolling over onto his side. Yuffie sighed as he once again vomited. He rolled back over to face her, eyelids drooping. They began to shut more, when Yuffie lightly slapped his face.

"No." Yuffie told him, as if he was a disobedient dog. "You can't sleep."

"…"

He looked up at her and she crossed her arms over her chest. "What happened?"

"I…I don't know." Vincent answered, after a period of silence.

Yuffie's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

"…I was chasing you through the jungle." Crimson eyes stared blankly at her. "Then nothing."

He didn't remember. He didn't remember her coughing; Vincent didn't remember Yuffie asking him to shoot her. Her eyes widened. Of course, she had meant why was he all vomity-blacky-outy, but she'd gotten something that would make her forget the former object. "…nothing?"

"Nothing. …but I have a headache."

"A headache?"

Vincent nodded. Yuffie could but two and two together; vomiting, headache, delayed unconsciousness (he was awake under water, but went unconscious on land), extreme drowsiness and temporary (most likely) memory loss.

"Vinnie, I think you have a concussion."

Vincent mumbled something in response. He was trying to fall asleep again.

"That means you can't fall asleep. I have to get you to a doctor." Yuffie said, before her words really dawned on her.

She had to get him to a doctor; that means_ she'd_ have to go to the doctor. Not to mention that they were in the middle of a jungle, miles and miles away from the nearest civilization. Gongaga was probably closer, but there was no way in hell she was going there, and it wasn't like she could drag Vincent up the Canyons.

"Why don't you just use Cure?" Vincent mumbled.

Yuffie kicked herself. Duh. Cure materia; but did that work on head injuries? She doubted it, but it would help until she could get Vincent somewhere. Fumbling in her pouch, Yuffie pulled out a small green orb. She reached to her back to grab her Conformer, before she realized it was back up the cliff. With a frustrated growl, she shook her head.

"Cure 3." She said clearly.

A warm green light surrounded Vincent, before it vanished. He sat up, his arms holding him up. He rubbed a temple; it had done a little, but not much. Where could she get him? She couldn't go into town…

_You can_, a little voice chided her, _but you won't. And because of your selfishness, Vincent will suffer._

_Shuddup_, Yuffie mentally groaned at the voice. She had never listened to it – well, not _fully_. It wasn't like she was going to start now. …Right?

Pah. Damn conscience.

Even if Yuffie wanted to go into town, there was no way in hell she was going to Gongaga, and not only would she run the risk of people recognizing her at the Canyon (and most everywhere else), but she would have to get up an entire Canyon with concussion-fied Vincent. There was no where to go…

Except…except the weapon seller's house. Didn't he live on the point near here, in that little house? They wouldn't have to go through jungle nor canyon…just plains. While that would make it easier, it was also easier for people to see her. Not to mention she wasn't sure Vincent could make it, with a concussion.

Azrael. Vincent's chocobo was in the jungle…Yuffie internally groaned. With her Conformer.

"Vincent?" Yuffie turned to him. "Can you call Azrael?"

Vincent nodded, and raised his index finger and thumb to his mouth and whistled two loud, sharp whistles, piercing the air. Yuffie was sure that the whole jungle had heard it. Apparently, not the whole jungle, but at least Azrael did. For at the top of the cliff they had tumbled down, the black chocobo stood, looking very regal and handsome. The chocobo peered down at the dot that was his master, and he began to trot down the cliff. As a black chocobo, he could go over rivers and mountains/cliffs, and it was a good thing, because both were in his way.

The chocobo reached the bottom of the cliff, and got in the water. The water reached the bird's neck, and it made his way across the river, puffing up its feathers once on shore.

Yuffie steered the large bird over to Vincent, and with Yuffie's help, Vincent got on the chocobo. Jumping on in front of him, Yuffie took the chocobo's reins. "Hold on tight, okay?" she told Vincent, who nodded and wrapped his arms around her stomach. "Back to camp," she told the bird. "I need my Conformer."

Azrael gave her an annoyed look before allowing himself to be steered back into the river. With the weight of two humans on his back, it was a bit harder for the chocobo to go across, yet he made it. Yuffie clung to his neck when he began to climb the cliff, which she looked up gravely. She thought of getting Vincent to the weapon guy's house, of dealing with _it_, and avoiding traveling AVALANCHE members and certain Neo-Shinra employees who might recognize her (Reeve, Turks, etc). With a pained look up the slope, Yuffie sighed.

"…Life cannot get any worse.…" she groaned.

It started to rain.

* * *

A/N: Update! I want to give some feedback to my reviewers, so this is from Chp. 1 reviewers as well. As you may have realized, Doll is not Yuffie...though I'm worried she may act far too much like Yuffie. Eek. As I may have said, this is still largely a WIP, and things may change - especially Doll's character. 

Chp 1 Reviewers:

**Mnm:** Well the figure isn't Yuffie, though I think the whole description of Doll threw everyone off. Eek. Need to change that then. ; Thanks for reviewing.

**Poet of Life:** Thanks! I'm trying ot stay farr ahead in chapters so they can be regular without catching up on me.

**Lyndi:** Thanks! Hope I don't disappoint

**Chibified kitsunes:** A former reader:D. Actually, it's funny you should say that because I keep trying to do that in the story, make the other two 'main' characters mini-main characters, as opposed to Yuffie. Hope I don't disappoint you. :

**Kawaii Eyes:** Thank you very much! Hope I do as well with the rest of the chapters/story.

Chp. 2-ers

**Lord Maruka:** Ha, who would trust her? Such a sneaky lil' ninja.

**Kawaii Eyes: **Ahh! Sorry that you thought it was Yuffie, since it kinda...wasn't. I love Reffie's too - I'm working on a Reffie fic right now - not up obviously - but I'm working on it. Hope you read anyway. :

**Fireheart stormcall:** I've been working on this way to long not to follow it to the end! Trust me, this will be a long, long, _long, long_ story. Hope you enjoy.


	4. The Biggest Lie

_**Circles**_

**Chapter Four **

"_It's the **circle** of life, and it moves us all, through despair and hope, through faith and love, 'till we find our place, on the path unwinding__."_

_**The Biggest Lie**_

_Falsehood is easy, truth so difficult._

The sunlight penetrated Reno's sleep, invading the haven behind his eyelids. Groaning he covered his eyes, only to have the sound of the world roar in his ears, as if the day was playing some cruel, sick game called 'Wake up Reno.'

Uncovering his eyes, Reno sleepily opened his eyes halfway, to see a pair of green eyes staring into his. Jumping, his eyes fully open, he scowled. Baby Doll straightened. He glared at her. "Do you do that often?"

Shrugging, she walked over to her chocobo and reached into her cloak and pulled out some greens, which she fed to it. The chocobo warked in glee, gobbling down the greens. Reno had noticed before that the chocobo was black, but he now saw that it had green-blue eyes that were reminiscent of the deep sea. Eyes just like hers. How…_weird_. Reno plucked a cigarette from behind his ear, and procured a lighter from his pocket. Sticking it in his mouth, he lit the end of it. Smirking, he looked up at her, taking the cigarette out of his mouth.

"How long did it take you to find a matching chocobo?"

She looked sidelong at the cigarette. She provided no answer but: "That's going to kill you."

"Yup." Reno stood up, stretching as Baby Doll was checking something on her belt. He watched lazily as she smothered the fire and put a bridle on her chocobo.

They were just near the foot of the mountain; either Baby Doll had woken up and taken the reins, or the chocobo had understood Reno when he told it to get off the mountain. They did say that chocobos were more intellectual then most people thought. But how the chocobo know _how _to get off the mountain was beyond him. Maybe the same way humans found out; follow a path and wander around a bit. Shaking his head, Reno looked into the distance and noted that they were near Rocket Town; where Rude and Elena would have gone.

Turning back to Baby Doll, he found her mounting her chocobo. She took the reins in her hands, and was about to nudge her chocobo into motion. "Where are you going?" he asked, slightly alarmed.

She shrugged, looking off in the distance. "Somewhere." She said.

"You ain't leaving me behind."

"Watch me," she ordered her chocobo to a walk.

Reno jogged to catch up with her, and put a hand on the side of the chocobo. It stopped, turning around to see who was touching her side. Without asking, Reno swung one leg over the chocobo, sitting right behind Baby Doll.

"Hey- Stop that!" she scowled, looking behind her. "We had a deal." She reminded him sourly.

"No." he responded. "And that deal never included having to save your ass from Crazy Gunblade Wutain."

"_You_ saved _my_ ass?!"

"Of course. Aren't you lucky I came along?"

She snorted. "Not the word I would use.

"Whatever. I get to use your chocobo, because you didn't give me time to get mine."

"Get off!"

"Nope."

"Why?" She demanded.

Reno looked off into the distance, seeing the stand where a rocket once sat sticking up from the horizon. "Because I need to get to Rocket Town."

She paused. "I'm not going there." she finally replied.

Looking at her, Reno raised an eyebrow.

"…you don't know where Rocket Town is, do you?" Reno asked incredulously, a smirk creeping onto his lips.

She frowned at him. "Of course I do."

"Then where is it?"

Without moving, her eyes flickered around, and then she raised her arm and pointed just slightly to her left. "There."

Reno nodded, acting as if he was impressed and proven wrong, holding up his hands in defeat, "Right. I guess you _do_ know where places are."

"Yes." she nodded. "Yes I do."

"So, where ya going?"

"That way." She pointed to northwest, her face betraying nothing.

"Baby Doll, you're going to have to cross an ocean if you go that way."

"Maybe I will."

"You'll die. The waters are freezing near the Northern Continent."

Sighing, she twisted around to look at him. She swung her right leg over the chocobo so she was sidesaddle, before swinging her left leg to the other side. She was now facing Reno, with her back to the chocobo's head. "So you've found me out. I'm not exactly sure where I am.

Reno raised his eyebrows, "Do you know where you just came from?"

She shook her head, and admitted – albeit, grudgingly. "No clue. Was never mentioned around me. I'd probably recognize the town name. I was taught about geography, but my learning was cut short…

"I don't know what Continent we are on. I don't know where the town we just left was, or which way I need to go."

Reno blew smoke out of his mouth, which caused Baby Doll to wrinkle her nose in dislike.

"And put that out." she ordered.

Not listening, he stuck it back in his mouth, taking a drag from the cigarette. Pulling it out of his mouth, he blew a smoke ring out of his mouth, which disappeared as it hit Baby Doll's face. Calmly she knocked it from his hand and let it fall to the ground. "Do you enjoy sticking cancer in your mouth?"

Reno grinned, "Love it. Now listen Baby Doll-"

"Stop calling me that."

"Yes, Your Highness. I have a proposition."

"…yes?"

Reno's aquamarine eyes stared straight into her deep, darker green-blue ones. "You help me find my friends, and I'll help you get to where you want to go. I know The Planet, and you don't. You have a chocobo with you, and I don't. We'll help each other." Reno offered his hand, "Do we have a deal?"

At first there was surprise in her eyes, but then she shook her head no.

He folded his arms. "Why not?"

She looked at him, really looked at him for the first time. She looked him up and down, noting and examining and when she was finished her jaw was set. "I thought so." She whispered. Backing up, as if to put distance between them, she pointed at the ground. "Off."

He raised his eyebrows.

"They still haven't changed your uniforms." She said dully as though that explained everything; but under the dull blankness were suppressed rage and other emotions that he couldn't quite read – and didn't want to. "So it was a set up then…" she continued slowly, thinking aloud. "I'm standing there trying to figure out how I'm going to get out when a door opens and there's someone there. Can you imagine my relief?" she eyed him angrily. "Of course you can't. So I get out, escape and I wake up and guess what! _It's a Turk_." She spat the last word as though it was a curse.

"Then I reasoned it was just, you know, coincidence. There isn't a law that says no one else can wear a blue suit. But now I realize that your stickie-thing," she pointed to his nightstick, "has the ShinRa emblem; ShinRa made. So whatcha waiting for Turk? Waiting for me to turn my back until you whack me on the head and carry me back? Hmmm?"

He stared at her dumbly. That was the longest thing she had said to him so far, and he vaguely realized that this hate and anger was so far the fiercest emotion she had displayed.

"Listen," he drawled, unaffected by her speech. "I don't know what the hell you're talking about and what 'there' is; and this nightstick is from _before_ The Fall thank you very much."

The Fall is what the world was using to describe the Fall of ShinRa and Midgar; or maybe even Meteor or Sephiroth or something. He wasn't sure, but he associated it with ShinRa. "I don't give a crap about where you came from, why you came from there; I just want to go to Rocket Town. So Baby Doll; Deal?"

Looking at him and then at the hand, she seemed to weigh what he had said. Finally – reluctantly - she stuck out her hand and took his. "Deal."

The red-head grinned widely, exposing pearly white teeth. "First stop, Rocket Town."

"Which is…?"

"Straight ahead. Here, let me steer." Reno said.

She dismounted and let him scoot up, as she mounted behind him. Rather than hold on to him, she crossed arms over her chest. "This doesn't mean I like you."

"Of course not."

"In face, I _really_ don't like you, now that I've seen you in daylight. I wouldn't let me ride behind you if I were you."

"You don't really frighten me, Short Stack." He was also deciding if the reference to 'in daylight' was a comment on his appearance. With her early speech he decided that it was for being a Turk. Plus, he had enough evidence that it was probably _not_ on his appearance.

Ignoring that, they rode in silence. Baby Doll's silence was one that indicated that what a Turk said didn't matter, and that he wasn't worth speaking to.

"I should know your name." Reno decided.

"…."

"C'mon - spit it out." Reno urged.

"Why don't you just call me what you want?" she decided.

"Alright, Baby Doll."

She winced, realizing the mistake. "Except that."

"Well, Doll unless-"

"It's Yuki, alright?" she said quickly.

He held his hands up in surrender. "All right, all right. Reno."

"I didn't say I wanted your name, Turk."

"I could tell you were burning with mad hot curiousity."

Another person might have rolled their eeys, but she just looked over at him dully, as though thoroughly bored with him. "So, where are we?"

"Western Continent, and we just left Nibelheim."

"Nibelheim." she repeated, turning the word over in her mouth. "Nibelheim…" Yuki looked at the structure that had held the rocket, leaning to the side so she could see around Reno. "What is that?"

"What?"

"That." she nodded towards the structure, growing larger as they grew closer.

"That's a structure that held a rocket; you know, that rocket Avalanche took it into space during their journey, two years ago."

She was silent, as though she'd never heard of it. "…Avalanche…?"

Apparently she hadn't.

It was Reno's turn to be dumbfounded. He turned around, staring at her with wide, aquamarine eyes. His mouth hung open slightly and he stared at her, though she returned the gaze. Completely bewildered he shook his head. "You don't know Avalanche? You're joking."

"If I did, would I sound so clueless?"

Reno sighed, ordering the chocobo to go a little bit faster. The chocobo broke into a canter, carrying an impatient Reno closer to Rocket Town. Closer to his friends. "Who _are_ you anyway? Where have you been, a hole in the ground?"

"Well…yes."

--

The rain poured on her head, making an already wet Yuffie Kisaragi soaked to the bone, and shivering to boot. She'd retrieved her Conformer, and checked to make sure everything else they needed was with them, and it was. They both traveled light. However, she had been in a dilemma – every time she tried to get her chocobo, ride on it, hitch it to them, Vincent nearly fell off Azrael. But she couldn't leave her chocobo behind…she _needed _it.

But she could only get it to the edge of the forest before she realized that at the pace they were going, they would both contract pneumonia before they got to the house. Sadly she left her chocobo at the edge of the jungle. She scowled though – she had to leave her chocobo, Kiku, which would be her ticket away from Vincent. Not to mention that her chocobo – to someone who recognized it – would be the most obvious sign that she'd been here. And she didn't want to leave her alone.

Leaning over so her head was near her chocobo's, she looked it in the eye. "Listen Ki," she said softly. "I need you to be on the move – go through water as much as you can, try not to leave tracks."

Yuffie was sure she was going crazy, speaking to a chocobo, and now she could have sworn the chocobo bobbed her head. "If you see people you recognize, _do not_ go up to them. Rather, run, stay out of sight – these are the people that you want to stay away from. Unless it's me, of course."

The chocobo met her gaze levelly. Hers was a social chocobo, much like Yuffie herself, but it squawked softly. "I'm sorry." Yuffie grimaced, and turned away, walking away on Azrael. By the time she looked back, her chocobo was gone.

She had to constantly nudge and poke Vincent to keep him awake; was she supposed to do that? Should he be awake, or sleeping? She couldn't remember, but a sleeping Vincent Valentine would just add weight to her burden.

They were well out of the jungle; and Yuffie wasn't happy about it either. The thick canopy of the jungle had provided a cover from some of the rain, but now she was receiving it full-blow. The weather, being unfair as it is, had decided to extend the storm clouds to her destination, instead of towards Gongaga, where she mentally sent them. Just perfect.

Not to mention that other matters were on her mind. Apparently, her father had not yet told Avalanche that she was missing. Sure, Avalanche was aware that she had cut herself off from them, but they probably assumed she was still in Wutai.

What she was amazed about was the news hadn't picked it up. They hadn't picked up _anything._ The things going on in Wutai would be a huge story, but her father was somehow keeping it under wraps. It was only a matter of time, though. These sort of things eventually got out. They always get out.

She saw the headlines already: "WUTAIN PRINCESS MISSING!" and "STRANGE HAPPENINGS IN WUTAI" as well as "WORLD SAVIOR GONE MISSING." It would be shocking news, and the biggest story since Avalanche had saved the world. She thought of them all gathering, laughing it up and partying. Without her.

If only she knew how wrong she was.

She missed them to death. After discussing it with her father, she'd cut herself off from them. For their, Wutai and her own good. Her PHS had been too much temptation, she she'd taken a hammer and smashed it. That's not all though; she'd thrown it in the fishpond, fished it out, jumped on it, threw it from the top branch of a tree into the hole she'd dug for it, and finally buried it. Extreme measures, it may seem, but just the sight of the communication device with her friends numbers programmed in made her fingers itch to dial.

When she had started receiving letters, she had tried to burn them. But she couldn't bring herself to; she'd read them and hoarded them. Kept every one of them, stuffed in a drawer in her desk. She'd cared for those letters as if they were her cats, carefully stowing them away and rereading them carefully, as though they'd fall apart in her hands.

When she'd received an invite to a party, she had longed to go. But she wouldn't let them see her in…_this_ state. She couldn't – but it was too late now.

When Vincent had insisted she come with him, she'd been fighting as hard as she could. When she needed to cough, she wouldn't let herself. Of course, she couldn't stop it, and eventually she'd get caught coughing. At least she hadn't puked while he'd been with her; she fainted though. And she was very, very tired. She'd been going to bed at 8:00 PM and not waking up until 12:00 noon. That was 15 hours of sleep, which left around 9 hours of awake time. This was especially abnormal for Yuffie, who generally thought sleep was a waste of time.

"…Where are we?" Vincent asked.

"On the plains."

Vincent nodded, and thought Yuffie couldn't see him, she knew his eyelids were drooping. Sure enough, his body relaxed slightly. Sharply she took her elbow and nudged him in the side, which made him sit straight. "No sleep." she told him.

He complied, sitting up straighter. Looking at the chocobo and the distance of the house, she wondered why they were only going at a canter. Giving the symbol for a gallop, the chocobo happily complied. Rushing across the plains, Yuffie felt the grip on her stomach tighten a bit. With her motion sickness – although she didn't usually get it on a chocobo – _it_, and the grip on her stomach, she felt the aforementioned organ flip-flop.

But her stomach was unsettled for another reason as well. If this guy could help, he would certainly notice _it._ He'd try to get help, and the media would find out and it would be chaos. Yuffie wouldn't let that happen. She watched as the house grew closer and closer, and glanced back at Vincent, who she poked.

"Vincent, you don't remember _anything_ before the accident?"

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Doubly-triple sure?"

"Yes."

"Positive?"

"Yuffie." At least Vincent's head wasn't too damaged.

Eventually they reached the weapon seller's house, by which time the two were half-drowned. Yuffie dismounted from the chocobo, and walked over to the door. Knocking, she glanced back to make sure Vincent wasn't falling asleep. When she turned back, she found herself face-to-face with the weapon seller. His eyes widened at the sight of her.

"What brings you here; in such a storm, no less!"

Yuffie gestured to Vincent. "My friend…I think he has a concussion."

"Get in here right away!" The weapon seller urged.

With difficulty Yuffie helped Vincent dismount and they led him inside. After he was lying down on the couch, the weapon seller (WS) led Yuffie to a small table. He made tea and Yuffie happily took it.

Breathing in the sweet, warmth of the tea, Yuffie took a calming sip. The warm drink heated up her cold, wet body. As she took another sip, WS took a seat across from her. "You're in luck little miss. It just so happens that I have a friend here who's a doctor!"

Yuffie choked on her tea, nearly spitting it across the table. Wide eyes stared at the WS, who waved to someone.

"Jim? We have a man down here with a concussion. You better hurry up."

Turning around, Yuffie saw a man who had graying hair and a jovial face. The man grabbed something and hurried down the stairs, over to where Vincent was laying. Leaving her tea, Yuffie went and stood next to the doctor. He was already checking a falling-asleep Vincent, who wearily looked at the doctor.

"Did he hit his head?" 'Jim' said, never stopping in his work.

"Uh…yes…I mean…I suppose."

"How?"

"Well…" Yuffie started. "We were in this jungle, hiking. I tripped and knocked him over, and we went tumbling down a cliff."

The doctor stared at her for a moment. "A cliff?"

"Well – it was a steep, sloping hill. It had some grass and stuff, but not much and it had rocks as well. I think he hit his head on the rock."

Jim turned back to his work. "You think?"

"I wasn't exactly sure."

"Then what happened?"

Yuffie grimaced. "We fell into a river. After we got on bank, he passed out for three minutes. When he woke up, he puked twice and…well, he wasn't sure what had happened."

The doctor nodded. "Definitely a concussion."

"Will he be alright?"

The doctor chuckled. "You leave that to me. He'll be fine; you should go take a nice, hot shower and dry your clothes."

Yuffie happily complied, hopping up. Brushing wet hair off her face, Yuffie started walking towards the staircase, when the doctor's words stopped her.

"Are you alright yourself, young girl? You don't look well…" The doctor inquired, but Yuffie knew what he wanted to say. He wanted to say 'You look ill. Let me examine you.'

Grimacing, Yuffie shut her eyes and sighed slightly. "Yes sir…I'm fine…"

Yuffie had never told a bigger lie in her life.

--

In Gongaga, the sun shone brightly, and the storm clouds over the distant jungle were barely noticed. The birds chirped and little children played outside, filling the air with giggles. Flowers popped up everywhere they could, even in the small cemetery. The temperature was hot, but what else could you expect from a summer day? Everything was a giant, horrible, cheesy bit of Wonderful.

Yet to Tifa Lockhart, the day hardly seemed beautiful. Her heart was heavy with worry and anxiety. She had bags under her eyes from lack of sleep. Not even the gathering of Avalanche could cheer her up – you see, that was half the problem.

Zack's parents were going on a vacation to Costa de Sol. They were trying to live life with the fact that their son was dead, and trying to make the best of life without him. When they had left, they had asked Tifa and Cloud to house-sit for them. Both had agreed, which brought them to Gongaga for a couple weeks.

The trouble had started one week ago. No…that wasn't right. The trouble had started nearly a year ago, when Yuffie slowly stopped calling and didn't pick up the phone. When Yuffie no longer came to the parties that she 'lived' for. When she stopped responding to numerous letters that were sent. They didn't know what actually happened to the ninja, but Godo never have them word that something was wrong. He would…wouldn't he? They weren't sure what to think.

However, one week ago Tifa had received a letter. Grimacing, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a letter. The letter, only a week old, had been folded and unfolded many times, read over and over as if it would say something different. The letter didn't exactly say anything devastating; to any other person it would be a totally formal and normal letter. To Tifa it meant all her fears were reality.

She unfolded the letter, and once again looked down at the paper.

_June 10_

_Dear Tifa;_

_I write to you on this day to request a meeting with you and the rest of Avalanche. I will be going to Nibelheim on business, and one of my stops will be in Gongaga. I have been trying to put off meeting with you and Avalanche for as long as I could, but I must speak with you on the subject of my daughter. I shall be in Gongaga on June 17th, and hope that you will acquiesce to my request. Please mail me your response as soon as possible._

_Godo Kisaragi_

He had written it with his own hand; that right away told you it had some level of importance. Most things he could have his secretary write, and stamp his signature, yet this letter had his own writing and his own signature. Yet once sentence spoiled the formal look of the letter: 'I have been trying to put off the meeting with you and Avalanche for as long as I could, but I must speak with you on the subject of my daughter.' Right then and there Tifa's stomach had turned and her heart had grown heavy.

Something was wrong with Yuffie. They'd guessed that ages ago, but they'd tried to believe it was just some Yuffie thing. Or perhaps that Godo had taken her PHS and forbidden her to write letters or go to parties as some sort of punishment. Even though they knew this was unlikely, this letter confirmed that none of those were true.

He was going to Nibelheim for the same reason Reeve was; town representatives from around the Planet were meeting to discuss various issues. It was a huge convention, bigger than anything that had been held for years. But Tifa was sure that even if he wasn't going to Nibelheim, he'd come anyway.

When Tifa sent out urgent messages to the members of AVALANCHE (except Yuffie, obviously), she had insisted that Reeve was to be there in person. She had told everyone to come ASAP

Tifa glanced around. Barret, Cloud, and Cid were all sitting on the couch, watching something on the TV with rapt interest. Nanaki was stretched out on the floor, with little Marlene near his tail. She kept trying to grab the flaming end of his tail, which he flicked out of the way before she touched it. Marlene found this the most amusing game. Yet there were two other members of the group. Rude and Elena had come with Reeve; they were the Presidents bodyguards. However, the red-headed, annoying leader of the group was missing. Reeve was talking with Rude and Elena, most likely about Reno. Cait Sith wasn't with them – apparently he had been suffering from overloads and malfunctions, and was sitting on a shelf somewhere.. He was with the Turks and Reeve.

Apparently he had gone to investigate this secret passage they had found in the Shinra Mansion and Rude and Elena had left. At first Reeve had been furious; but they had explained that Reno had forced them to leave. When they had gotten off a ladder that was the lead them back to the mansion, the ladder had began moving downwards. A section of the floor had opened and the ladder was disappearing into it; by then the two Turks knew something they had to tell Reeve about this. They were unable to retrieve their friend, and had immediately set off. They had assumed Reno would get out and head straight to Rocket Town. Yet he never came to Rocket Town, and Reeve had to leave to get to Gongaga (by plane).

Tifa wasn't worried about the Turk; she had other problems. Not only was the meeting weighing heavily on her mind, but Vincent had not arrived yet. Tifa knew he wouldn't have ignored it – he would have come to Gongaga immediately, probably traveling straight through the night. So he should be here already, only a day or hours behind Nanaki. But he wasn't, so apparently something had happened. Something bad.

Today was June 17th; Godo would be arriving soon. The teapot began to whistle, and Tifa mechanically turned off the stove, lost in thought.

"When is he coming?" Nanaki asked, stretching, snapping her out of her revere.

As if on cue, the doorbell rang. Tifa pulled off her apron and tucked the letter away, and rushed over to the door. Cloud reluctantly turned off the TV, and everyone's attention was drawn to the door. Tifa pulled it open, and sure enough found herself face to face with Godo Kisaragi.

He looked horrible. There were bags under his eyes and he wore a weary expression. His eyes were blank, except for the worry that swirled in them. His lips looked as though he hadn't smiled in months, except for the fake smile that was on his lips now.

"Hello Miss Lockhart." he greeted her.

"Hello…Mr. Kisaragi," Tifa said awkwardly, unsure of what exactly to call him.

"You may call me Godo." he told her, his fake smile making room for a real one.

Tifa nodded. "Come in." She stepped aside.

Godo was alone; apparently he'd been escorted here, for Tifa could see two retreating bodyguards. Godo immediately walked over to the area where everyone was sitting. Reeve immediately stood, and the others followed his example. Godo bowed to them, and Reeve once again set an example by bowing back. Then Godo simply sat down in a big armchair, sinking into it.

"Would you like some tea?" Tifa asked politely, and Godo nodded.

Tifa began preparing tea, having previously asked who wanted it and who didn't. The Turks already had their coffee, but everyone other than Nanaki wanted it. Tifa poured it into the cups, and walked over with the tray, delivering the cups to the various people. Then she put the tray on the coffee table, and sat down next to Reeve.

"Marlene, go upstairs," Barret told the little girl.

"…why?"

"Because the grown-ups need to talk."

Marlene frowned, looking up at her father. "…you aren't going to leave 'gain, are you?"

"Just go upstairs," he said, and Marlene reluctantly went upstairs.

As Marlene was going upstairs, the Turks took this as their cue to leave. They seemed relieved to do this, for sitting around their former enemies wasn't exactly comfortable. Yet Godo raised a hand. "Stay…"

Awkwardly the two sat back down, and eight pairs of eyes turned to Godo. Godo took a sip of tea, before placing the cup and saucer on the small table next to him. "I suppose you all know why I'm here."

The group nodded, watching Godo with rapt attention. Godo looked around the group, and his brow creased.

"It seems you are missing a person. …other than my daughter, that is."

Cloud nodded gravely. "Vincent should have arrived. He hasn't though, obviously."

"I see. Well, as you know I'm here regarding my daughter." Godo looked pained, but he continued to speak. "For over a year my daughter hasn't called or returned any phone calls. She hasn't come to any parties, nor did she respond to any letters that you wrote. I read these letters, forgive me, that is how I knew Miss Lockhart and Mr. Strife were house-sitting here.

"Last summer – a year ago - my daughter smashed her PHS. She smashed it and buried it so she wouldn't attempt to fix it. She read your letters, hoarded them, but never replied. She didn't go to the parties you invited her to, and she never attempted to make contact with you."

Curiosity was bursting within Tifa, as well as every other person in the room. "But why?" Tifa burst out.

"She didn't want you to see her in the state she's in. She didn't want to believe that she was weak, and she didn't want anyone else to believe it either. We've taken extreme measures to keep the press from finding out, which they haven't yet.

"But what's wrong with her?" Cloud asked, his concern etched in his face.

Godo looked gravely at the group. His eyes were a bit more watery than before, but he blinked that away quickly. With a sigh he looked around at every person in this group, even the Turks. The look on his face was grave, sorrow and pain etched into every inch of it.

"Yuffie is dying."

--

A/N: Oh Noes! Not _dying_, surely! But oh yes kiddies, it is true. I'm horribly mean to characters. They'd probably hate me if they ever met me.

**Reviewers:**

**itachi fangirl:** Thanks for reviewing! As for why CHaos didn't come out when they fell...well, as I see it, Vicnent and Chaos have a rocky relationship. And as I see it, he doesn't really have a full reign of Chaos, and doesn't really control him.

**Lord Maruka:** He won't die, I promise. ;)

**Kawaii Eyes:** Haha! Yes, they are different people. In fact, I changed Baby Doll's appearance, but I don't know if I can replace the chapter without losing reviews. She actually has light brown streaks and doesn't have the same hairstyle as Yuffie. Yup.

**chibified kitsunes** I think I PMed you, but I'm not sure. Yes, I did write past this! I'm staying far ahead, and saving the story to Yahoo Breifcase.


	5. Kicking and Screaming

**Chapter Five**

"_When you Love somebody, put them in a circle, never in a heart, for hearts can break but circles go on Forever."_

_**Kicking and Screaming**_

_The world makes you into a bitch, no matter how quietly you go, so you may as well go kicking and screaming._

Every eye in the room grew to the size of a dinner plate, and gasps filled the room. Tifa's hands had flown to her gaping mouth, as tears sprung to her eyes. Cloud looked as though he'd just been punched in the stomach. He was slumped against the couch with a far-away look, half-dazed. But no matter the reaction, no one could peel their eyes from Godo.

Like a firework on a quiet night, loud sob erupted from a distant corner of the room. Bursting from the stairwell, Marlene ran and leaped into her father's lap, arms twining around his neck. Tears poured down her cheeks, and her eyes were red and puffy. Her breaths were jagged and uneven as she cried. "Aunt Yuffie's…?" she managed to choke out, before burying her face in Barret's shoulder.

Godo himself was staring at the floor, eyes unblinking and full of pain. Those three words had taken him all the effort in the world to him; never had he spoken those words out loud before now. But he wouldn't put it any other way in front of these people. The people his daughter had tried so hard to hide from, the people she wouldn't speak to, just to preserve her dignity, because she refused to let them see her weak. She'd wanted these people to see her as strong, and with three words, all that had gone down the drain. Sorrow and admittance were weighting on his soul; but so was guilt. He felt as though he had betrayed his daughter, by relaying the secret she'd tried so hard to hide.

They all looked to him for explanations. He'd tried to prepare for this, but he'd soon found that impossible. Sighing, he lifted his head with great effort; it seemed to be full of lead. Gazing at them with weary eyes, he shifted in his chair to get more comfortable. Taking a sip of tea, he put it down, seeing the impatient eyes in front of him.

"Where to begin…?" he mused. "I suppose at the beginning. The problem is, I'm not sure if our beginning is the real beginning, or the beginning I should be telling you. However, this is where I'll start.

"About a year ago, give or take a little, Yuffie grew ill. She rarely grew sick, so it was a bit worrisome. But we all thought that we'd treat her and she'd grow better. Only…she didn't. She kept growing worse. At first it was just headaches. Then they grew more intense, until she'd start…throwing up. Migraines. Nothing worked, and she only grew worse. She began to get intensely dizzy, until she sat down and stopped everything all day. Color was drained from her face. …and then…then the fever came. A small fever, then it rose, and rose, until she was having some of the highest temperatures the doctor had seen. Temperatures that should have killed her. The headaches still came, just not as often as before. Perhaps they had to make room for all the other ailments.

"But it didn't stop there. Oh no. She started throwing up, and couldn't take food or liquid down. Of course, this resulted in dehydration. Dehydration so horrible she couldn't even stand. Her legs couldn't take her weight, and she'd collapse. Lifting a glass of water was difficult. Her veins had even begun to collapse.

"We got the best doctor there was to tend to her, and he was sworn to secrecy. He said she should go to a real hospital. We both said no; we brought the hospital to her. He tried using a needle that he used to give her food and water. It didn't work; her veins had collapsed. Eventually, as that bout of the sickness wore off, she began eating and standing and drinking. You see, the sickness would have times where she was completely and horribly sick. These are the times I'm telling you. However, it seemed to wax and wane. There would be times when she was just like normal, except a bit pale. But she would jump around, exercise. And these periods weren't regular; nothing was. Some horrible parts would be days; some would be weeks, some would be months, yet some were mere hours. The good periods worked the same way. But the next major thing in the sickness was the fainting spells. She'd grow dizzy and faint…and then…" Godo closed his eyes. This story took so much effort. "She started coughing up blood. Now, each of these different things of the sickness mix, and even during strong periods she'll have some problems.

"Somewhere during this time span of six months, Yuffie stopped responding to letters. I watched her while she read them. She would be obviously pained and miserable, but she just tucked them away. She tried to burn them, but couldn't. And – forgive me – I read some of them. Why? I'm getting to that. She also smashed her…what is it called? P…?"

"PHS." Cid supplied.

"Yes. Her PHS. She smashed it with a hammer, threw it in the goldfish pond, and then buried it. It was too great a temptation. She cut off all contact with all of you. She blocked all communication methods."

"But…why?" Cloud asked, blue eyes wide.

Godo's eyes pierced into Clouds. "She didn't want you to see her in the state she was in. She refused to let you see her as weak. She didn't like anyone thinking she was weak; it was difficult for her to accept help from the people I employed." Godo looked to the rest of the room again. "She's always been proud."

Tifa's watery eyes shut, and she shook her head. Opening them, she met Godo's eyes. "…Well, can't we go see her now?!" she demanded fiercely.

Godo sighed, smoothing his kimono. "That's…that's what I'm telling you now. You see.." he took a deep breath, and calm washed over him like a wave, his trembling limbs calming and his eyes unreadable. "…6 months ago, Yuffie…6 months…You see Yuffie…Well…"

"She what?!" Cid burst out, but glares from everyone silenced him.

"She left. …Yuffie ran away…" Godo stayed calm, from long practice. He sipped his tea.

"Holy fu-" Cid glanced at Marlene, and received a glare from Barret and Tifa. "What'd she do that for?"

Godo focused his attention onto Cid. "I was hoping you could tell me…I was hoping…hoping she'd be with you." Bitterness flashed across his face. "…She always said you were more of a family than I could ever be…"

Tifa's eyes filled with sympathy and she put a hand on the leader's shoulder, hesitantly as though she was violating some great taboo. When he didn't resist, he relax. "She didn't mean it, I'm sure." Tifa said softly, pouring him and others tea. "You two are more alike than either of you realize."

Cid snorted. "Though I'm not sure if you should take that as a compliment." Tifa glared at Cid, who recoiled. At that moment, they weren't all that sure that looks couldn't kill.

Godo made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a snort but covered it with a chuckle, the first happy emotion he'd expressed so far. "It's quite alright. However, I came to you to tell you this information. I felt I owed you an explanation; felt you had the right to know. But that is not the only reason I came to you today…" Godo looked up, his gaze piercing and face solemn. "I implore you; find my daughter."

The atmosphere of the room was heavy as everyone processed all they had been told. Marlene's sobs had quieted to an occasional sniffle, still clinging to Barret. Cloud ran fingers through his hair, leaning over with his elbows resting above his kneecaps. He could scarcely believe what he had been told. It seemed that any minute Yuffie would jump out from concealment, eyes bright as she began to laugh at them. It seemed that she would burst in dramatically; playing along until she could conceal laughter no longer and it was obvious it was a joke. But it wasn't; all of what Godo was saying made too much sense to be false. Not to mention he'd never seen the ruler like this. Godo was usually composed, but now he was a wreck, however he tried to hide it. Cloud grimaced; just like Yuffie, he hated admitting to weakness.

Finally mako blue eyes looked up at the rest of the group, his hands sliding down onto his cheeks, palms supporting his head. He surveyed the group. They all looked solemn, and most looked a bit upset. The Turks however, looked awkward even while sympathetic. He noted that Elena kept opening her eyes wide to keep them from watering with tears. With a sigh, he leaned back against the couch and looked to Godo. "Do you have _any_ idea to where she might be?" Cloud asked desperately, though he was sure he knew the answer.

Godo shook his head. "I'm afraid not. In fact we can't even be sure…" Godo faltered, voice quavering. Clearing his throat, his voice was normal again. "We…we can't even be sure if she's alive or not…" He folded his hands in his lap "As I said, her sickness waxes and wanes. What I told you was only the extremes. However, most often she isn't bad nor well; she's in between. She's not as violently sick, and she'll suffer from some of the ailments, but will still be able to walk and function somewhat normally."

Reeve looked solemn yet thoughtful, and then looked at Godo, a troubled look in his eye. "What if she spreads it? If she's wandering about she could pass the disease along…imagine the panic…"

Godo's eyes flashed, and a shadow passed over his face, and his jaw clenched. "Do you honestly believe," Godo said darkly, eyes full of rage and voice poisonous, every soul in the room recoiling, "that she would leave if she was a risk to Wutai or anyone else? After her motivation for _risking her life_ to join the quest to defeat Sephiroth was Wutai!? Surely you've seen her devotion to her people, and surely you don't think she would be so careless to leave when she could be putting her people in danger? I hope you don't believe my daughter is_ that_ selfish." Godo's tone was dark and ominous, warning Reeve. The outburst was quite unlike the leader or even most 'proper' Wutains, showing how much stress he was under.

Reeve looked sheepish for a moment, but grimaced and looked over to Godo. "…I'm sorry." He seemed to not want to say what came next, but brought himself to. "Wouldn't you ask the same if the roles were switched?"

Godo thought this over and nodded, with a grimace. "I would," he admitted, "Forgive me. The stress of this whole situation has gotten to me. I've barely gotten sleep between trying to hide this issue from the world and trying to locate where my daughter has fled to."

Cloud and Reeve nodded, both understanding how the pressure of being a leader can affect one. There would be a million things to tend to with this case, even if it was just a normal child. But it wasn't just a normal child; it was his own daughter, and the sole heir to the Wutain throne.

Suddenly, Nanaki spoke. "The jungles." he said abruptly, heads swinging to his direction, "It would be wisest to begin the search in the jungles. After all, that is where we met her first. I can't see her going to any cities in the state she's in. Someone would be bound to inquire, not to mention in most cities she ran a risk of running into one of us; we're so spread out in many places. Reeve and the Turks are in Midgar, but all of them travel often. Cloud and Tifa" he nodded at them, "were in Kalm and now Gongaga, not that she would know that - but Zack's parents could have recognized her. Barret and Marlene in Corel – and they could easily go to the Gold Saucer, as well as any of us. Cid and Shera in Rocket Town, Vincent in Nibelheim and – of course – I'm in Cosmo Canyon. We could easily be traveling though any other town as well.

"Of course, as being part of AVALANCHE, she could easily be recognized, and since we went all around the globe, the risk of detection of high. While the people seeing her might not think it important enough to speak of, word could still spread. That makes jungles ideal places to hide. Concealing and large, and being who she is, Yuffie could easily hide and see us long before we see her and she'd flee. They're perfect.

"If for some reason she left the jungles and forests, isolated towns would be perfect. After all, most of the towns have one of us in them. Junon wouldn't be a good place, as is associated too much with Reeve's company, and he might easily be going back and forth from there to Midgar. Fort Condor is too small, and not even a real town. Costa de Sol is too populated. Even so, we might want to check those places, but not at first. Places like Mideel, Icicle Inn and Bone Village would be good because of their isolation. Actually, the whole Northern Continent, though she never was fond of the cold. The jungles, however, should be our first priority." Nanaki noted, and then added, "We should try to get in contact with Vincent, or wait for him in case he's just late or got delayed."

"Nanaki's right," Cloud nodded at the wise red beast. "But the toughest thing is that she'll be in constant motion, and knowing Yuffie, she'll leave little trace that she'd been there. We need a way to find out if she's been places without raising suspicion. A way to inquire that will seem so normal, the ones we ask won't even remember."

Others nodded in agreement, and everyone settled into their thoughts. Minutes dragged on, the thick uneasy silence making everyone fidget. Finally Tifa broke the silence with an angry noise. "If only we knew something more… Something…any clue to where she's been. But guess what? The last person she spoke to _isn't even here_!" Tifa growled, fist clenched. As she shook her head in frustration, tears that had clung to her eyelashes dropped off; she didn't bother to hide them. Her eyes turned up to Godo, and she sighed. Her fists unclenched and anger melted. Her eyes and her voice pleaded to the Wutain ruler. "Do you have any clue? Do you even have a vague idea of how she became sick…? Maybe it's genetic…?"

Godo head suddenly snapped up, and his eyes grew wide in such as fashion, it seemed he suddenly remembered something crucially important. Eyes wide and staring, not quite at anyone or anything in particular. He briskly put his teacup down and swept up from his chair. Everyone scrambled to their feet. "I'm afraid something has come up and I absolutely must leave you at this moment. I have to depart to Wutai, but I'll contact you if anything comes up."

Bowing, Godo turned to walk out the door, and he not taken one step outside before he was flanked by bodyguards. The door swung shut with a thump of wood, the noise seeming to echo in the room. Shock was slowly lifting from the room, leaving only grief in its wake. Tifa raised her head, rubbing her eyes. "Do you think she's sti-" her voice faltered. "Will we be able to find…?" her voice cracked once again.

Cloud's gaze shifted, and his eyes weren't filled with grief or shock. They were set in acceptance and fierce determination, a look they'd seen before. His eyes locked with those of the woman's across from him. "We _will_ find her. …if it takes us to the end of the Planet, we will find Yuffie."

--

Vincent groggily opened his eyes. Rubbing his eyes with his good hand, the blurriness receded and he looked around. He was stretched out on a couch, where he'd spent most of the week he'd been here. He reached over to the coffee table that had been pushed close to the couch. He grabbed a glass of water and drank from it, ignoring the bottle of pills. They were merely headache medicine the doctor had left for him.

As if on cue, the door to the house opened and the doctor's cheerful face was visible. Silver hair was plastered to his head and face, and a grin was spread on his face. He folded up the bright yellow umbrella he was carrying and shook his head side to side, reminding Vincent of a dog. Drops of water shook off of him, and he removed a rain coat and rain boots, all the same color yellow. Hanging up the coat, he walked from the door into the living room portion of the floor, separated from the other part by a step. The doctor came over, seeing Vincent was awake.

"Hello there, son!" the doctor greeted him cheerfully. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine." Vincent responded.

"Well, that's great! You're a quick healer; you'll soon be totally recovered."

"…we used Cure 3." Vincent shrugged.

"Did you?! Well, that must of cost a bit of money to get. But it came in handy, eh?" the doctor laughed.

"Where's-"

"The girl?" the doctor finished. "Ah, what did she say her name was? Maggie! That was it. Well, Maggie's upstairs. She usually is – for some reason I don't see her much. I guess he likes to keep to herself. But then again, Walt says she comes down when I'm not there…odd…very odd. Then again, he also says she sleeps a lot so perhaps it's just chance."

Vincent's eyebrows rose – Maggie? The doctor spoke truth though; Vincent hadn't seen her downstairs when he was awake, and the doctor hadn't allowed him to move around too much, or go upstairs. Sitting up, the doctor beamed and stood, walking into the kitchen for a cup of coffee. Vincent then stood as well, and began to walk out of the small living room. Passing the table where the Weapon Seller (Walt) and Jim (the doctor) sat, he began to walk up the stairs. No one objected, and he didn't really care if they did.

Reaching the top of the steps, he walked the room where Yuffie was staying. Raising a hand, he knocked of the door, but he only knocked twice when the door was flung opened and Yuffie was standing behind it, grinning. She looked as if she just woke, despite the time, for the covers of her bed were thrust off and she was wearing an oversized T-shirt that advertised the weapon seller's weapons (Walt's Weapons – cheap and reliable!). "Vinnie!" she cried. "So you're better, right?"

"I'm fine…Maggie."

Yuffie's grin faded. "Oh. That. I just…" she looked up at him suddenly, sticking out her chin and crossing her arms over her chest. "…I don't have to explain myself."

Vincent shrugged.

Walking into her room, she plopped onto the bed. Vincent walked in and sat in a chair. "So Vinnie, how are you feeling?"

"Fine. The doctor said I would be fully recovered soon."

"Well that's good." Yuffie nodded. She turned to look out the window, where it was still raining. Sighing she turned back to Vincent. She looked tired, contrary to the doctor's claims of her getting lots of sleep. One stormy eye looked over and met Vincent's eye. "How much longer?"

Vincent shrugged. "I don't know." He suddenly grew suspicious, and narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

Yuffie turned to him, looking surprised. "Is it such a sin to want to know when you'll be better?"

"From you it is." he muttered.

She laughed, and with a shock Vincent realized it was the first time since they'd met up again. That more than anything told him something was wrong with the ninja. "You haven't changed Vincent."

Vincent looked at her. That mere statement – the way she said it, seriously and in a normal tone of voice – and that she had called him 'Vincent' while saying it could reveal many things, if one looked hard enough. "You have."

Yuffie looked up, startled, stormy eyes full of alarm. Alarm was replaced by a puzzled look, raising her eyebrows. "What do you mean Vincent?"

"For one, you just called me Vincent two times in a row, being serious."

"Don't get used to it." Yuffie muttered.

"I wouldn't dare."

Yuffie looked at him oddly, a frown tugging at the corners of her lips. She looked as though she was regretting something, but she shook her head and smiled. In that moment she looked more like the Yuffie he knew, more like the Yuffie he'd traveled with on the journey to save the world. At the end of the journey, Vincent had realized an uncomfortable truth; he'd grown close to these people. He had intended to stay as detached as possible from the group, and he had. You can't go through something like that and not become close. Well, even if close for Vincent meant an inch closer than the usual distance he kept from others.

After a silence, Yuffie broke it. As usual. "So when were you supposed to be at Gongaga?"

"The 17th." Vincent replied.

Yuffie, raising her eyebrows, had a small look of triumph on her face. Vincent frowned. "What?"

"Do you know what today is?"

Vincent shook his head.

"It's the 19th." her eyes sparkled with laughter. There was a spark there that hadn't been there for a long time. A liveliness that was actually genuine. "They won't still be there."

"But if they are? I wouldn't know if I didn't go." Vincent raised an eyebrow.

"Whatever they were meeting for would be disbanded by now. I'm sure of it."

"Then there should be no problem in going. Then I'll find them." Vincent retorted.

"For what point? You don't know why you were going." Yuffie taunted.

Vincent looked at her.

"How do I know? Well gawd, I'm used to you not giving any detail, but I think that if it were something super important you'd be refusing to stay here and leaving in the Vincent-version of 'panic' which is more like 'haste.' Or even just more like 'haste with a side of grimace.' But anyway, I think I know how to read a person, or maybe I'm just psychic or-"

"Or you stole the note from my pocket." He finished.

She grinned, purely Yuffie again. "So it's not super important, since you actually gave yourself minimal time to heal since, you know."

"Actually-"

"Were you?" Yuffie grinned.

Vincent nodded. "Let's go."

"No."

"…"

"You see, my room is a mess. I need to pack up and tie up some loose ends."

Vincent shook his head. "You don't have a lot of things."

Yuffie narrowed her eyes. "Give me 2 hours."

Ridiculous. Yuffie was a speed packer, she'd said so herself, not to mention she packed light. "Half an hour."

"1 hour."

Vincent looked at her suspiciously, but nodded.

"Now Vin-Vin, I'mma going take a shower. Alrighty?"

Vincent nodded and stood, turning and walking out the door. Without glancing behind he walked downstairs, where Jim was waiting for him. He pulled a chair out for Vincent, who sat in it, and Jim pushed some food over towards him. Knowing protesting would get him nowhere; he simply ate the food in front of him in silence.

"So Maggie told us only a few things; I don't know if you remember, but she told us you two were hiking and tripped over a cliff. What took you two into the jungle?"

Vincent stared at Jim for a moment, before shaking his head. "I don't remember…what happened before we fell."

Jim raised his eyebrows. "Well sometimes temporary memory loss is to be expected, especially memory loss of what happened directly before or after the accident. Though I might have something to-"

However, he never got a chance to say what might help, for upstairs there was the sound of a thump, and then a shout. "Jim! You better get up here." Walt's voice came urgently.

Jim and Vincent both sprung from their chairs, Jim rushing up the stairs with Vincent just behind. They didn't have to go far to find the problem. Walt was standing in the hallway, holding the upper half of Yuffie. She was sweating and looked pale, and she seemed to have fainted. Jim started rapidly asking questions, as to the incident. "I always knew there was something off about her…bet she didn't even realize…"

"Maybe she just doesn't like doctors." Walt suggested.

"Well…that's not the problem right now. Get her into her room." Jim ordered.

Walt motioned to Vincent. "A little help?" he asked. Vincent nodded, inwardly alarmed at Yuffie's collapse.

_A few tears had escaped from the ninja's eyes, but that wasn't why she stopped. She stopped because she had started to cough, hacking coughs that shook her whole body. Dots of blood covered her hand, and sweat was beading on her face. Her coughs grew more violent, and by now Vincent had rushed over, unsure of what to do._

_Yuffie gasped, as if she was running out of air. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and her body went limp. Yuffie Kisaragi had fainted; right over the side of the cliff._

Vincent frowned, the bit of a memory flashing through his mind. Shaking it off he walked over to Yuffie, and without asking for help from Walt, scooped her up and took her into her room. Jim and Walt followed, anxious, as Vincent carefully put her down on her bed. Retreating to a corner of the room, he watched as Jim started examining her.

"You say that you heard violent coughing from her room, so you knocked?" Jim said, focusing on Yuffie.

Walt nodded. "It was rough, so I knocked on her door. The door flung open and she was in the doorframe, almost as if she was using it to support her. She tried to look casual, but she was flustered and sweat was on her face. She looked pale and drawn. So I asked her 'Are you alright?' She obviously wasn't. But Maggie just nodded her head and grinned. 'Fine!' she said. She was obviously trying to make her voice bright and normal; she did a good job, actually. 'I'm just going to go take a shower.' she said, but I'd heard her say the same thing to our guest over there a while ago, and she hadn't yet. She walked past me; actually, it was more as if she stumbled past me. I turned around but she insisted she was fine. Still I walked up next to her, for she had started coughing again. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fainted, right then and there, so I caught her."

Jim looked sharply over to Vincent. "She was fine when you were talking to her." It was more of a statement than a question.

Vincent nodded. Jim looked disturbed, and started looking around. At last he found what he was looking for, shoved under the bed. A blood spotted handkerchief. Jim looked at it, frowning and turned to Walt. "Now they have cures for tuberculosis…why wouldn't she get one?"

Walt shrugged. "Denial? Fear of doctors?"

Jim turned to Vincent. "You were traveling with her. You were with her, hiking right? Did she cough, faint, show any symptoms?"

Vincent paused, looking at Jim. Very subtly, almost unnoticeable, he looked past Jim to Yuffie. Then he noticed that there was a change. She was no longer limp, but stiff. Her muscles were tight and her fingers had curled into fists, jaw clenched. Yuffie had awakened; but Vincent was the only one who noticed. Her left eye twitched, and Vincent thought it opened if only a tiny bit. And she must have seen Vincent looking at her, for her head moved – very subtly, her head shook side to side. Only a tiny bit, and as if the clarify the message, her fist – the one visible to Vincent – uncurled to have her fore and middle finger together, tap against her thumb twice. The sign-language symbol for 'no.' And since her eyes were closed, and he needed the message, her other hand moved against the wall and suddenly taps were heard. To the other men it was just tapping, but Vincent – in a jolt – recognized it. Dash dot, dash dash dash. Vincent held in a chuckle. Morse code for – just guess – no.

Obeying, Vincent shook his head no. "She was fine." No doubt a lie, but Jim seemed to believe it and looked back to his charge, who became limp again. However, Yuffie found it time to 'wake' and blearily opened an eye. She still was pale and sweaty. She looked very tired and her eyes were glassy. The doctor, before she could protest, stuck a thermometer into her mouth. Yuffie's fist curled and her eyes flashed, as though she was considering punching the doctor and running. But she seemed to think it was too much effort. The thermometer beeped, and the doctor plucked it out and raised his eyebrows. "103? You're burning up, dear."

Yuffie looked as though she didn't care, but she feigned shock. The doctor grabbed his bag and pulled out some things, but Yuffie – with effort that Vincent realized was real, just exaggerated – raised her hand. "Please…" she croaked, closing her eyes. "Tomorrow? I'm just…too tired."

Jim seemed to be fighting an inner battle between his doctor self and his kind, cheery self. Finally, he caved to his compassion. "Alright, dear, but Maggie – we'll still be taking care of you."

Yuffie – or 'Maggie' as she was calling herself – seemed to know that Vincent hadn't yet given a name, and they hadn't yet asked for one. "That's alright…" she smiled meekly. "Finny here will take care of me. It's probably just a cold; I don't get sick often, but even a mere cold can give me a fever when I get one."

"Makes sense. You were in the rain for a long time." Walt nodded.

Jim turned to Vincent. "Finny? _That's_ your name then. Funny, you don't look like a Finny"

Walt nodded. "I'm seeing more of a…'Vincent' type."

Vincent looked past the two to see Yuffie stifling laughter by turning into her pillow. "I get that a lot." Vincent said dryly.

"Well call us if you need anything. I'll probably come up to check a couple times." Jim nodded, grinning at the two. Yuffie smiled weakly and Vincent gave the tiniest of nods.

"Well I have to go out; I'm running low on food. That's the pain about not living in a town. With these storms, I might not be back for a day or so." Walt said.

Jim nodded. "I'll man the fort."

With that the two men left, and they didn't speak until they heard the door shut on Walt and the T.V. turn on. Yuffie turned to Vincent, looking exhausted. "I'll see you in the morning V-…Finny." she smiled weakly.

Vincent looked at her suspiciously but left the room, against his better judgment. Then he realized he had no place to sleep. So he went downstairs, where Jim was drifting off in front of the T.V. and nudged the doctor awake. Jim sleepily dragged himself up to his room, and Vincent sat on the couch. He wasn't very tired, but he didn't want this head injury to slow him down, so he reluctantly lay down, spreading across the couch and he went to sleep.

--

She had to leave. There was no way she could stay here, not with that doctor there. She was getting an outbreak, and she had to get out while it was in the beginning stages. She didn't care if she was lying in the jungle, as long as she wasn't here. The doctor had noticed something unusual, she knew he had. Vincent could stay here, he was still getting better, and he could go off and frolic with the rest of AVALANCHE. Yuffie smirked at the thought of Vincent frolicking; actually, with the thought of AVALANCHE frolicking. She could just _see_ Barret, Cid, Vincent and Nanaki all frolicking in a meadow full of flowers. Her grin grew wider and she was about to laugh when she shut herself up. Noise was no good, and thinking of AVALANCHE would only bring pain.

Silently, as she had been trained, she gathered her few possessions. She had to pause more often than usual; but she refused to stop. Finally, all her things were packed up. She paused; should she steal Azrael? No. She wouldn't do that to the bird; and though she would never admit it, she probably couldn't do that to Vincent. AVALANCHE might have thought that her stealing from them was easy, but it hadn't been. Yuffie had been closer to AVALANCHE than most people in her life. She couldn't do it again; not to mention she highly doubted that Azrael would cooperate with her. However, her pride didn't allow her to consider such thoughts.

Gently she opened the window, and glanced out. It was still pouring, and she started getting quite wet, and the bed she was standing on was getting wet as well. She was on the second story, but there was a gutter right next to her. It would be easy enough to get down. However, she hadn't expected the sharp gust of wind to knock open the window – it was the sort that was split in two halves and latched at the middle, and opened outwardly. The window was thrust away and she grabbed them just in time. But one had hit the side, if very quietly.

She wasn't worried about Jim waking up. No, if he protested then she could easily silence him; she was a ninja after all. It was a certain dark haired ex-Turk sleeping downstairs she was worried about. For once she cursed whatever had enhanced his senses – Chaos? – and though it had helped in AVALANCHE, she cursed it now. She had to get out. Backpack on, she started climbing out the window and one hand reached to the gutter. Vincent hadn't seemed to notice, but the hairs on the back of her neck prickled anyway. So far so good. Half out of the window, she suddenly received an unpleasant surprise. The door was suddenly open, and a glance saw a tall man standing in the frame.

"Well shit." Yuffie said. Without another word she lithely jumped out the window. Vincent's eyes widened in surprise, if only for a moment. When he walked over to the window, he saw the ninja was going down the drainpipe. With an inward sigh he left the room, closing the door behind him.

So Vincent had turned back. Yuffie raised her eyebrows, quite confused. She was nearly to the bottom, and her limbs decided they were too weak to support her anymore. Releasing the drainpipe, she fell, the ground giving her bottom a sharp slap. She didn't mind that – she was used to being sore, but fate had decided to let her land in the middle of a growing mud puddle. Mud splashed up around her, coating her already dirty clothes and covering her skin. "Oh _grossness._" She muttered as she shook her hands, mud flecks flying off. And it wasn't as though she could wipe of her face – everything else was muddy. Sighing, she stood and began to walk towards the jungle, wishing she had a chocobo. A smart chocobo wouldn't be out in this weather, so she couldn't catch one, and hers was back in the jungle. Why hadn't she brought her chocobo? Oh yes; Vincent would have fallen off his.

So she began walking, grumpy, feverish and in no shape to walk all the way to the jungle. Plus, she had to pass the Gongaga jungles that surrounded the town (at a distance of course), and who knew if the group was traveling by now? However, as she rounded the house she was met by another surprise. Vincent was standing just around the corner, hair plastered to his face as he waited, Azrael beside him. He looked at her expectantly, raising his eyebrows. "You just won't give up will you?" Yuffie groaned.

"…Funny. That's what I used to think about you."

"Very funny." Yuffie stuck out her tongue.

"If you keep doing that, something will bite it off." Vincent muttered.

Yuffie raised her eyebrow. "Was that a…a…a joke?! Albeit, a very mild one, a little more than a chuckle, but a joke! From Vincent Valentine. This'll go down in history. And I was the witness. I'm honored." Yuffie feigned shock.

"…Don't give yourself a heart attack."

"By Leviathan _another?!_ Pinch me I'm dreaming Vin, or else I _will_ have that heart attack."

"…"

"Ah, I see. You've overdone yourself on talking; used up your words of like, the month I bet."

"…"

"I can just keep talking. You know that; we traveled together a lot. You know I can chatter on and on for hours and hours." Yuffie told him, though she wasn't up for such talking. No need to make herself seem any different than the Yuffie he knew. She – very subtly – moved towards the direction of the jungle. At first, Vincent didn't seem to notice, probably blocking her out and ignoring her, as was one of the few defenses against Yuffie-ism, but after they had gone a noticeable distance he stopped.

"What's wrong Vin?"

"You're going the wrong way." Vincent explained shortly. Yuffie looked up at him dully, seemingly tired.

"Listen Monster Man. I have a cold. I'm not in the mood for this. You go your way, I'll go mine. That's what you've always wanted right?" Her voice bit and was much sharper than it had been. But it was true; Vincent had always wanted to stay distant from the others, and to just part with them after his tasks were done. "It's what you've always wanted; have you suddenly changed your mind?"

Vincent merely looked at her and turned back to Azrael, mounting the chocobo and reaching down to her. Yuffie, however, showed no sign of cooperating, standing stubbornly with her arms crossed over her chest and glaring up at Vincent. Vincent stared back, and they were caught in this contest for Leviathan knows how long. Their standoffs were famous, known to last for hours – Yuffie's impatience yielded only to her stubbornness, and Vincent could easily stand there staring. It was one of those moments when Yuffie didn't feel the need to break the silence; once again, her stubbornness won out.

"Bye Vincent." Yuffie said and walked off. Of course, the house was in such a place that the difference in walking to Gongaga and avoiding Gongaga was merely walking closer to the coast rather than going down the middle. Not that either would mention this. However, as she walked she felt her backpack being pulled back. Looking behind her she saw Vincent, who had slid off Azrael and was gripping her backpack.

"You're coming, Kisaragi." Vincent said, and Yuffie was surprised to notice the tiniest hint of a growl in his voice.

Recovering from her momentary surprise she snarled back, "What if I don't want to, Valentine?"

"…" he gave her a look that suggested that he didn't care.

"Well you'll have to carry me there, kicking and screaming." Yuffie snapped, sitting down and crossing arms over her chest. Without another word Vincent scooped her up, much to Yuffie's shock. "Hey, hey! It's a figure of speech!" she cried. Yet he still continued to walk towards Gongaga, alongside a curious Azrael. True to her word, Yuffie started kicking and lashing out against the much taller man, yet not being able to fight his iron grip. Not to mention she didn't want to gouge herself on that claw of his. "You put me down Vincent Valentine, or I swear that I will make your life a living hell!"

"You're too late for that Yuffie." Vincent stated, continuing to walk.

Yuffie was momentarily taken aback, but quickly resumed her endless tirade.

"Vincent! I'm all muddy and gross and now I'm getting your spotless red vampire cape dirty! Are you happy? Forgive me you're never happy! But now you're going to have icky mud stains on your vampire cape. I've never seen a muddy vampire Vincent! So put me down!

"Ug! You're so…so…inconceivable! Unbearable! In fact, you're…you're…Inconceivabearable! That's right. Inconceivabearable! There. You made me make up a new word to describe your horribleness. Happy? Oh wait we _already discussed this!_ Put me down Vincent Vampire Valentine or I will lodge a throwing star in your ass! THAT'S NOT A HAPPY PLACE TO HAVE A THROWING STAR! _Put. Me. Down._"

There were certain buttons she didn't like to push, especially in the grip of a metal, pointy claw, but she pushed him anyway. After not speaking for a while, Yuffie pulled out her trump card. Well. Something like it.

"Now Vin…what would Lucrecia think of this particular situation?"

Yes, she always called Lucrecia 'that Lucy girl,' pretending not to know the name. But she knew the name; she'd been in the cave that day, when Vincent had blatantly lied to whatever was left of Lucrecia.

Vincent immediately stiffened at her name. He stopped, and Yuffie enjoyed being one of the people who could upset Vincent Valentine, the stone statue. His grip on her tightened slightly, and she let a smirk play on her lips, eyes glinting. But to her dismay, Vincent relaxed and started walking again. "…"

Yuffie sighed. She had nothing else; she could probably dig deeper, if she had more energy, but the fact was she was exhausted. "Lemme on the chocobo." Yuffie reluctantly said, and Vincent hoisted her up so she could mount the chocobo in a lazy way. She wrapped her arms around the wet chocobo's feathers and leaned against the neck. Her weary eyes shut and she allowed herself much needed sleep. "This isn't over…" she muttered.

"Of course it isn't Yuffie. It never is." Vincent mumbled.

--

A/N: Title and quote suck this chapter. The plot of this is moving slowly, but it is there, I promise.

Demeter1: Yup, edited this fic and took it down because I had a feeling no one would reread.

Yes, I'm trying to go with Yuffie hiding it in a selfless yet selfish way, if you get what I'm saying. She doesn't want them to suffer with her, but she also doesn't want them to see her weak. Also her pride in there.

Lord Maruka: Yes, they're both alive. And Chaos will be a big part of this fic; it's based solely off the original game, since I haven't even got a chance to play DoC. D

Kawaii Eyes: Yes, an OC. Aren't I evil? But I'm trying ot make her not a Sue, and not like Yuffie...overall, the fic does have her as a main character, but Yuffie as the main main.

Chibified Kitsunes: I meant to update this sooner but...busy bee:)

itachi fangirl: Well you're right about dramatics at the end - but the end isn't anywhere close.

ILoveYuffietine2719: Thanks for the review, glad you liked it.


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